


Komorebi

by saltedpotato



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Sasuke's POV, Slow Burn, mentions of cannibalism???, talking about things that need to be talked about, the "travel the world" fic that we've all needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-05-25 08:59:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 67,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14973689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltedpotato/pseuds/saltedpotato
Summary: Komorebi: A Japanese word for the way sunlight filters through the leaves of a tree canopyHis responsibilities to the world fulfilled, Naruto Uzumaki takes Sasuke Uchiha and disappears from the public eye, letting the world readjust by itself in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War.Follow along with a series of windows into the lives of two boys as they relearn what they mean to the world and what they mean to each other.





	1. Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up guys, I'm back at it again with my gay Naruto shit. I've been rewatching Naruto lately, and I've come to the realization that Kishimoto is a huge fucking dumbass. So, I've decided to rectify this and give us the ending we all actually deserve. 
> 
> This fic focuses primarily on communication and exploring the wasted potential of Naruto world building. I don't think anybody ever asked for ten thousand words about my headcanons on Jinchuuriki and Konoha reforms, but that's what ur fuckin getting.
> 
> **Things to note before you read**
> 
> -The 4th Shinobi World War lasted closer to six months, rather than the 2-day bullshit that Kishimoto tried to pass  
>  -Kabuto and Orochimaru are dead, bye sweaty   
>  -Read the dates to avoid confusion   
>  -I'll be throwing some obscure side pairings in here and there, don't question it. Maybe I'll write something about them too, idk

**_6.24.XX_ **

“I think...”

Sasuke pauses in flicking pebbles off of Minato’s head, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of his eye.

“I think I'm in love with you.”

His thoughts scatter.

“What?”

Naruto is flexing his hand-- the left one, the only one still made of his own flesh and blood. The small sun branded into his palm glows softly in the dim light.

“Well, I s’pose it's more than _I think_. I've been thinking on this for awhile now, and I'm... uh...” The weight of his words finally seem to penetrate his own skull and his cheeks flush in the moonlight. His eyes are tired, the lights of Konohagakure reflecting dully on them as he ponders; the months since the end of the greatest shinobi world war haven’t been kind to him, but it’s a different kind of difficult. The Shaking-Hands, Accepting Gifts, Talking to Important People kind of difficult-- the kind of difficult that Naruto couldn’t just punch a rasengan through.

He rubs his face, sighing.

“I just... I love Sakura. I love Hinata. I love Kakashi-- though I have some _words_ for him--" Sasuke snorts, but Naruto kept going. “I love Gaara and Lee and Tsunade, but when I think about you it feels... different. I don't know-- fuck, you know I've never been very self-observant.”

“You _do_ have the introspective skills of a dead fish,” Sasuke supplies helpfully. Naruto socks him in the arm.

“Shut up!” He groans and keels back, throwing himself supine and tucking his hand behind his head. Sasuke allows himself a chuckle and then joins him on his back on the mountain. The stars glitter above them, a scatter of dust in an inky ocean not choked with smoke and dust for what felt like the first time in ages. It’s the height of summer and the night is sticky, humidity gripping them around their neck and under their arms, but the altitude pushes a breeze over them that makes the heat more bearable. It’s peaceful and, best of all, _isolated_ , which is a blessing in disguise for both of them-- for Naruto, a reprieve from the demands of hundreds of grabbing hands; for Sasuke, an absence of prying eyes that bore into him distrustfully and fingers that twitch towards their weapons pouches whenever he so much as rubs his nose.

“I've spent so long chasing after you,” Naruto admits quietly. “I've invested so much of my life in you that I feel... off-balance when I think of you not being here.”

Guilt pangs in Sasuke’s stomach-- four years, a voice echoes. _Four years you'll never be able to give back to him._

“That doesn't sound like love,” Sasuke mutters. He feels Naruto tense, his emotions rippling out like waves in a pool, impossible to ignore or misinterpret. He's upset, reasonably. But to his credit, he stays silent. Waiting for Sasuke to elaborate. That was something they did now-- waited, that is. No more chasing for either of them: a trusting patience had settle into them both, and so they waited and met in the middle.

Sasuke sighs, closing his eyes and laying his palm over his stomach.

“It sounds like a muscle memory. Like... reaching for a weapon that should be there but isn't. I think you’re confusing dependence for love.”

“That's not--!"

“But what if it is?” Sasuke says firmly. He opens his eyes, but doesn't meet the gaze he can feel drilling into the side of his head. “You're right-- you've spent a lot of time chasing me. More than I deserved. But... I remember feeling like that after I-- after Itachi...”

He drifts off, because he didn't need to keep going. Introspective as a dead fish he might have been, Naruto could read Sasuke like a picture book. The silence meanders around them for a moment.

“I felt... listless. I was looking for something. And that made me stupid. Easily manipulated. I'm not... I'm not saying that I _don't_...” His cheeks burn but he pressed on. “But I don't want to jump to conclusions. You just saved the world, everything's changing. I want to... I want to settle. And figure things out with anybody trying to tell me what to do.”

Naruto was quiet-- but it was a loud kind of silence, bursting at the edges. His hand comes out from behind his head, resting between them. Heat radiates off him like the sun, and not for the first time Sasuke wishes it didn't feel like there was broken glass between them. Like if he reached out, he’d slice Naruto open and drive him away.

“That makes sense,” he says eventually. It felt anticlimactic compared to the weight to his silence. “I feel like it's been months since I've been able to just. Live. You know, without having to save somebody or stop the world from collapsing.”

Almost in sync, a breath passes between them-- in and out.

“Let's leave.”

There it was. Despite the fact that he was expecting _something,_ it didn't prepare Sasuke for _this._ He shoots up, leaning on his elbow and staring down at Naruto, who had no right looking as nonplussed as did.

_“What.”_

“Let's leave. Just travel. Not-- not abandoning the village, just like... a vacation, you know? I feel like we deserve one after all this shit we've been through.” Naruto looks up at him, stars swimming in his ocean eyes. The weight of it rushes around him and Sasuke doesn’t fight it-- he could drown in those eyes, willingly. There’s a gravity in them that he doesn’t fight, because he’s tried for _years_ and it’s never worked, not once. And now there was no reason to, so he just... surrendered.

He returned back to his recumbent position before he could do something stupid.

“Oh. That... sounds nice actually...” he mumbles. Naruto nudges him, knuckles brushing over the back of his hand.

“I'm not as stupid as you.”

_WHACK!_

“Ow, bastard!”

Naruto rubs his arm, but it's hard to stay mad when Sasuke lets out this soft chuckle-- Naruto is always struck dumb by the lightness in these smiles, how much easier it is to read him now without layers of concrete keeping him cold and distant.

Sasuke likes this. He'd like time to just Be.

* * *

 

**_6.26.XX_ **

They tell Sakura first.

She isn't happy, but she's not... angry either. They're sitting at a private table in a restaurant, sake uncorked and untouched between them. Sakura lets out a breath and props her cheek in her hand, shoulders slumped.

“You really wanna leave me again?” She says quietly. The air seems to crackle for a second as both Sasuke and Naruto tense guiltily. Sasuke sighs, putting his hand on the sake bottle and sliding it towards himself. They ordered it, so he might as well indulge.

“I mean... we'll be coming back. I'll send letters-- so will Sasuke,” he elbows Sasuke hard, making him grunt, “ _right?”_ Sasuke gives Naruto a dirty look as he pours himself a cup.

“No shit.”

Naruto doesn't seem to care about the language; he just smiles and turns back to Sakura. She's staring between them, one eyebrow slightly raised in a knowing manner, exasperation written all over her body language.

“You're both disasters. I don't know if I could trust you anywhere on your own.”

It's her own way of accepting it, Sasuke supposed. In the stubborn, bullheaded way of hers that Sasuke is still trying to adjust to. Eventually, Naruto bids them goodnight, leaving a few ryo on the table to cover his part, despite the fact that he hasn't had to pay for food or clothes or weapons in days-- “thanks for saving our home" and the like. He's a regular celebrity.

Sasuke and Sakura trade the sake bottle back and forth until they're both decently drunk. Sakura chats about whatever topics strike her fancy, and while once the idea of _Sakura’s_ idle chatter made him want to yank his ears off, now it’s not so bad. She talks about her new job as head of the hospital, about how Zetsu’s cells are helping her craft living prosthetics for the many amputees the war has left, and speaking of the war, she’s afraid of the unseen consequences it could have-- namely, in the minds of the shinobi who fought in the thickest areas. She’s drunk and rambling, and some of the acronyms and medical jargon she’s using doesn’t make sense, but it’s interesting enough.

After awhile, Sakura stops herself and stares down at the sake bottle, her lower lip jutting out a little as she thinks.

“I really hope you put this trip to good use,” she mutters. “While watching you two dance around each other is the most fun I've had in years, it’s getting pretty exhausting. You're like a pair of roosters-- coupla chickenshits you are.”

Sasuke clicked his tongue, staring down at the cloudy rice wine.

“We're not... dancing,” he says. Sakura lets out a bark of laughter.

“And _I'm_ not crushing on Ino,” she says sarcastically. Sasuke sits up, blinking.

“You're _what?”_

Sakura’s face suddenly turns bright red, only worsening the flush from the alcohol.

“Nevermind,” she snaps, snatching the bottle and taking two great gulps directly from it. Sasuke decides to let the subject drop-- the conversation wasn't supposed to be about gay crushes, it was supposed to be about travel plans.

Or something.

Sakura surprises him by leaning over and grasping his hand in both of hers. Her palms are rough, littered with callouses and scars and Sasuke wondered when that had happened.

“Listen... I'm not gonna stop you from taking this trip. I'll even vouch for you. I'm _so_ happy that you're back and you're safe and you've finally gotten the bullshit knocked out of you,” she says with a chuckle. “I love you-- I'm sure you've heard my idiot mouth say it time and again but... you are my teammate. Always have been, always will be, and I'll support you as long as you're not doing dumb shit.” Her grip suddenly tightens, touching the edge of pain.

“But I swear to god, if you do some _dumb shit_ and hurt Naruto again, I will _castrate_ you. Understand?”

Sasuke shrank back into the seat, away from Sakura’s terrifyingly chirpy smile. He nods, and Sakura releases him, returning back to her chill, moderately drunk self.

Sasuke decides this is a good time to excuse himself.

“It's late,” he mumbles. “I should get going.”

Sakura waves her hand dismissively, pulling the nearly empty sake bottle towards herself more possessively.

“Goodnight, then. Make good decisions,” she said, giving him a saccharine smile with murder written all over it. Sasuke fled the restaurant, not even bothering to leave his share of the money. He had to remember to apologize later.

* * *

 

**6.27.XX**

Tsunade was less happy when they told her. She was only recently able to pull her transformation jutsu back over her, and looked more youthful than she had any right be after being so close to death’s door. But she gave them a sour look, lowering the clipboard she had been staring at.

“No,” she says bluntly. “I need both of you here; I can’t have two of the world’s most dangerous shinobi just _running off_ because they’re--”

“Well, why not?”

Tsunade’s chest swells with anger as she turns around to look at Kakashi, sitting on the window sill where he hadn’t been a moment before. His ankle rests on his knee, and he peers at them with tired gray eyes-- two of them, which is still unsettling.

“What do you mean, why not?” Tsunade snaps. Kakashi shrugs.

“The hard part is done with. It’s not like we’ll be dealing with any more Madaras or Kabutos in the near future,” he says. He blinks, and then leans forward and knocks on the wood of Tsunade’s desk.

“Hopefully,” he adds.

Tsunade purses her lips, crossing her arms over her chest. Her sandal taps a persistent beat on the wood floor-- _click, click, click._ She’s gathering her thoughts, reigning in her temper which has been on an increasingly short leash-- something about being cut in half will do that to a person.

“There are still bodies to recover. Stray rogue nin to round up, political alliances to smooth out. I can’t have the figurehead of this war disappearing on some... spiritual journey!”

She’s losing the argument and she knows it.

Naruto shrugged a little and slung his arm around Sasuke, grinning cheerfully. The lack of a glower on Sasuke’s face is noted by both of the adults in the room.

“C’mon, Granny, it’s not like we’d _disappear._ If you really wanted me back, all you have to do is send Katsuyu after me or something,” he says.

“I think you know more than anyone that Naruto deserves some time to himself,” Kakashi adds. Tsunade let out a grumble from deep in her chest. She aims a glare pointedly at Sasuke, still squashed almost comically to Naruto’s side.

“I don’t suppose you want to say something too,” she deadpans. Sasuke shrugs.

“Do I have to?”

Tsunade flicks her wrists in disgust, turning bodily away from the both of them.  Kakashi offered an eye smile, planting both feet on the floor.

“Fine. I expect regular updates with where you're at. And don't start shit.” She glares over her shoulder. “Looking at you, Uchiha.”

God, you threaten to kill the Kage _once_ and nobody lets it go.

Sasuke mumbled some excuse and left the room, leaving Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto alone. With him gone, Tsunade deflates and eases herself gingerly into her chair. Her fingers go to her temples, rubbing in clockwise motions.

“You realize I have concerns, Naruto,” Tsunade says after a moment. Naruto leans his hip against the table, crossing his arms.

“I know, Granny. But this was my decision, not his. I think this’ll be good for both of us. I don't think Konoha is ready for...” he makes a vague hand gesture that somehow manages to encompass an incredibly specific emotion. “... Sasuke, y’know?”

Kakashi snorts.

“Fair enough. Just...” He gets that tired look in his eyes again, brows pinching in a way that makes Naruto notice wrinkles that hadn't been there a year ago. “Be careful. I want to retire early, so I can't have my successor vanishing into the forest.”

Naruto flushes with pride and he scuffs his foot.

“Yeah, yeah.”

* * *

 

**_6.28.XX_ **

They decide to leave under the blanket of night. Sakura is the only one there to see them off. They didn't tell her when they would be leaving, but of course she knew anyways.

She pulls them in close, drawing them into a tight hug that even Sasuke returns warmly. It was weird; both Sakura and Naruto had changed so much --longer limbs, heavier hands, broader shoulders-- but they still fit together like puzzle pieces. Deep down, Sasuke was grateful for that. He was still trying to unbury his feelings from years of suppressing them, but Naruto and Sakura were an easy place to start.

They were his red threads, leading him out of the woods.

“Sasuke, please make Naruto eat something other than ramen. Naruto, please make sure Sasuke eats anything at all.”

Sasuke frowns.

“What's that supposed to mean?’

“It means you look like you spent seven years in a room eating nothing but salted crackers and then decided to come out here. Get some protein in your diet for God’s sake,” she sighs, grabbing both boys by their ears and giving them a sharp twist. Naruto lets out high pitched whine, while Sasuke only allows himself a grimace.

“Stay safe, be smart,” she says, squeezing them one last time before releasing them entirely. Naruto grins and gives her a thumb up.

“I can't make any promises with the second one, but we will definitely come back in one piece,” he says. Sasuke just hums in agreement. Sakura mutters something under her breath; it kinda sounded like _“why do I even bother?”_ But she crosses her arms and makes a shooing motion.

“Go. Before someone else comes along to bother you,” she says. Naruto elbows Sasuke with an excited grin.

“Ready to set off?”

“You were the one that kept going back to your apartment because you forgot something,” he mutters. Naruto makes a sour expression, sticking his tongue out childishly.

“Hey, I'm forgetful! We can't all have perfect memories like you, bastard,” he sniffed. Sasuke smirked and elbowed his other half.

“Which is why I grabbed your wallet on the way out.”

Naruto blinked slowly --twice-- and then slammed his palm into his forehead.

“Fuck off.”

They hadn't even realized they had already started walking until the gates of the village were passing them by.

* * *

 

**_6.30.XX_ **

It's two days out from the village before Sasuke asks The Question.

“Where are we going?”

Naruto looks up from the rock he's been kicking persistently for the past mile. He’s had the hood of his cloak pulled up for most of the way to avoid looks on the road from the people they passed on occasion, but for now the road was deserted, and his face is free to turn up and soak in the sun’s rays. Naruto makes a noncommittal noise low in his throat, flicking his ankle so that the rock skips into the air, where he dribbles it like a hacky sack.

“I dunno. I was thinking of heading to Suna to check on Gaara. He hasn't written me much since the war ended-- I'm kinda worried,” he says. A bad kick sends the rock skittering off the side of the ride, down into a ditch. Naruto whines pathetically.

“Aw man...”

Sasuke clicked his tongue yanking on Naruto’s collar as he passed him up.

“Suna it is, I guess. We're pretty close anyways.”

Inevitably, Naruto loses interest in dribbling rocks and balancing kunai on his nose. He starts to ramble-- not particularly _at_ Sasuke, just anything that lights up in his hyperactive brain. Similar to Sakura, Sasuke finds himself enjoying it much more now that he has a proper appreciation for his teammates.

It's nice. The sound of Naruto’s drawl and quirky speech habits wasn't something Sasuke realized he'd missed until he'd gone without it for three years.

“So, like, Son Goku was super cool. You know he developed his own style of taijutsu? It's so badass-- he's been trying to teach it to me, but it's _so hard_ . You've gotta like, _wa-cha!”_ He makes two quick jabbing motions with his hand. “Y’know?”

Something clicks.

“He's been _what?”_ Sasuke interjected. Naruto tilted his head.

“He's been... teaching me?”

“How does a _bijuu_ teach you taijutsu?”

Naruto’s eyebrows rise into his hairline-- free to fall over his forehead since both boys had decided to leave their headbands behind.

“Oh-- I didn't tell you.”

Sasuke listens with utter bewilderment as Naruto gave him a crash course on his spiritual chats with all nine bijuu-- and how pieces of their chakra still lingered within him.

“It's like... I dunno, a bridge? Sometimes they visit me when I'm asleep or something. Gyūki visits all the time-- he loves telling embarrassing stories about Killer Bee. The others are mostly quiet though. I hope they're doing alright; I've told them they could always ask me for help if they need it, but _man_ you wouldn't believe the egos on some of them--!” Naruto descends into a spiel about the bijuu, which Sasuke listens to with more attention than he'd been giving the first half of the conversation. Listening to someone chatter about primordial beings of pure chaotic energy like they were old friends was... an experience.

Naruto’s still talking when they hit the edge of the desert and decide to settle down for the night, but hits the pause button so that he can go hunt down a rabbit while Sasuke sets up the bedrolls. It’s arid and the dirt beneath their feet is gritty, and he spends a good few minutes sweeping away pebbles to make sleeping on the ground more bearable for the both of them.

Naruto returns with two jackrabbits and a shiteating grin.

“I hit two with the same shuriken,” he bragged. Sasuke grunted and poked at the fire he had started.

“Well, now you get to skin two rabbits.”

“Aw, c’mon man-- you barely did anything, just skin one!”

“No.”

“Hrgh... well, if I do a shitty job it's your fault.”

Naruto sets himself down to Sasuke’s right, pinning the rabbit's ears to a tree to make skinning it easier. He's grumbling the whole time, but it only takes him a few minutes to skin and gut both of them. Sasuke could even say he did a _good_ job.

Two rabbits stuff them both, with leftovers that Naruto tosses to a pair of curious foxes that peer at them from the underbrush.

“Haha, that one looks like Kurama,” he said, point at a red one with black marks dusted here and there. And then for seemingly no reason, he peels over onto his back laughing, holding his stomach and kicking his feet in the air. Sasuke blinks slowly at him, his expression flat.

“I don't get it.”

“I just-- I just--!” Naruto wheezes, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “I said that, and _immediately_ after, Kurama just snapped _don't insult me,_ like some kinda diva or something. He’s been quiet all day, and _that’s_ what he comes up for.” He dissolves into cackles again, and Sasuke decides to just let him ride it out and goes about settling down into his bedroll.

He was beginning to realize that there was a lot he didn't really know about jinchuurikis. He winced, thinking about his aborted decision to try and kill the bijuu off. Would he ever be able to think back further than a year and _not_ hate himself?

Probably not.

“So does he just... talk to you all the time?” Sasuke asks when Naruto finally settled down. Their bedrolls are are laid at an angle to each other around the fire, their heads almost brushing.

“No, not all the time. He's a quiet guy. But he's been a lot more chatty since the war and stuff. I'm glad on better terms with him.”

Naruto snorts.

“He just said to stop being mushy.”

Sasuke stared up at the stars visible between the sparse branches of the canopy.

“Can he... talk to me directly? Through you?” He asks slowly. Naruto is silent for several seconds.

“He can, but he doesn't want to. He's still, uh... mad at you.”

“Hn... fair enough.” He rolls over, putting his back to the fire. He hears Naruto swipe some dirt over the flames, dimming it to just glowing embers.

“Goodnight, bastard.”

“Goodnight, idiot.”

* * *

 

**_7.1.XX_ **

Sasuke isn’t really surprised when Gaara greets them at the gates. Naruto drops his bag as soon as he spots the head of red hair and sprints across the sand, arms waving like a lunatic.

“GAARA!” He whoops, crushing the Actual Kazekage into a hug that lifted him off his toes. To his credit, Gaara bore it with grace, returning the hug with a great deal more restraint and smiling softly as he was set back down. Sasuke catches up eventually, just in time to hear: “--to see you, too. It’s a surprise though-- why didn’t tell me you’d be visiting?”

Sasuke comes to a stop a bit behind Naruto and Gaara’s expression cools considerably as he looks the other man up and down.

“... Or that you’d be bringing a guest.”

Naruto’s sheepish laughter dispels the tension for a beat.

“Yeah, I uh... I only decided to leave like two days ago actually. Didn’t have much time to send out letters and stuff,” he says, rubbing the back of his head. Gaara frowns a little.

“Leave?”

“Not, like, go rogue!” Naruto blurts immediately, throwing his hands out. “We’re on a vacation... of sorts. I thought we’d stop here before we keep going.” Gaara makes a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat but his steady gaze still rests on Sasuke. He refuses to squirm but it’s... a close battle.

Finally, his eyes slide back to Naruto, warming up once more.

“Well, you’re both welcome regardless. How long will you be staying?” He asks. Naruto turns back to look at Sasuke, who just shrugs.

“A few days maybe? Not too long-- I don’t wanna be a burden and I know you’ve got all sorts of responsibilities,” Naruto replies. Gaara turns, heading back into the village, Naruto falling behind him without question. Sasuke clicks his tongue and tosses Naruto’s bag at him, which he had been fully prepared to leave in the sand twenty feet back.

“You’re forgetting something, idiot.”

Naruto catches it without looking back.

“Nah, I knew you’d grab it for me.”

Sasuke scowls, but trails after the pair anyways.

They’re offered a room in the Kazekage’s Tower in the center of the village. It’s cozy-- two small beds pushed against the opposite walls, with a desk and a large, circular window that looks over the village. A few shelves hold some flowering cacti, and the hardwood beneath their feet is dark and sun-warmed. Naruto wastes no time in dropping his pack and throwing himself upon the bed with a bounce.

“Man, I’ll never get used to sleeping on the ground,” he sighs, stretching until various joints give some vaguely worrying pops. Sasuke sets his pack down neatly by the bed and then shrugs off his travel cloak as well.

“Thank you for the hospitality,” Sasuke murmurs over his shoulder, to where Gaara is still hovering in the doorway. He just crosses his arms and shifts his weight a little.

“It’s the least I can do.”

Naruto launches himself out of bed, landing on his feet in a power pose, hands on his hips.

“Are Kankuro and Temari here? I’d like to say hi to them too,” Naruto chatters. Gaara huffs and steps backwards out of the room.

“Temari is away on a mission in Iwa, but she should be back within the next day or two. Kankuro is probably in his workshop,” he says. Then sighs at the look at Naruto’s face. “It’s in the basement, at the end of the hall.”

Naruto whooped, clicked his heels together, and then ran out the door, vanishing down the hallway, not giving a damn that he was crashing around the most politically important building in the village. But Sasuke supposed that didn’t really matter when you’re best friends with the most politically important figure, did it?

No, Sasuke was more concerned with the fact that Naruto had ditched him, not giving a damn that he left Sasuke and Gaara alone. Together.

Sasuke feels the back of his neck begin to prickle uncomfortably. The feeling only worsens when Gaara turns his attention to him.

“Would you mind joining me for tea?” He asks placidly.

The prickling stops, but Sasuke is only left even more bewildered in its absence. But he nods cautiously anyways.

“Sure.”

They end up in his office, Gaara pouring tea into two mugs between them, Sasuke sitting on one side and Gaara standing on the other. His sand winds around the mug and lifts it into his hands as he leans his shoulder against the wall, staring out one of the many small, circular windows that surround the room. Just like the guest room, there are cacti and succulents in here too, taking up any available horizontal space and even dangling from the ceiling in glass orbs. The sun is beginning to set, spilling honeyed rays across the floor, causing multi colored splotches here and there as the light darts through the terrariums hung here and there. Dust motes in the air swirl as the light catches them. The light falls across the bridge of Gaara’s nose, turning his maroon clothing almost orange.

Sasuke thinks back to the first time he met the man-- a boy with sickly pale skin and shadowed eyes who reeked with the stench of blood. The change is stark: Gaara seems nothing but peaceful, his silence soft instead of searing.

“Have you ever died, Sasuke?” Gaara asks out of nowhere. Sasuke pauses, his mug of tea halfway to his lips. The question swirls around in his head for a second like the dust motes, struggling to find the purpose. Giving up, he eventually resumes with his slow sipping.

“I came close. Near the end of the war,” he answers carefully. “Why?”

“I have. About a year and a half ago, when I had the ichibi extracted from my body. I don’t remember much, but I was well and truly dead.” He huffs a little to himself, as if finding the moment funny. He sips his tea again, and turns his gaze, meeting Sasuke’s.

“I was told afterwards of the grief Naruto went through in the small time I was dead. He wept for me: something that I never would have dreamed of a mere handful of years earlier,” he says. Sasuke’s lips purse. Naruto had mentioned this, briefly, back in the village, but he still didn’t see the purpose of the question.

“What’s the point?” He says bluntly.

“My point is that despite Naruto being my best friend, I caused him unimaginable pain without even meaning to.” Gaara sets his mug down on the desk, empty, and suddenly his gaze feels like a blanket of lead laying upon Sasuke’s shoulders. “You’re an intelligent man, Sasuke-- I hope you’re aware of the power you hold over Naruto.”

Sasuke narrows his eyes, setting down his mug.

“Let me guess, if I hurt Naruto, I’ll pay?” He drawls irritably. “Believe me--”

“It’s not a threat,” Gaara interjects easily. “I think we both know that when it comes down to it, you are leagues ahead of me.” Sasuke should be flattered but he isn’t. “No, I’m simply warning you. You hold Naruto’s heart in your hands-- whether or not you want to. I’d prefer it if you didn’t break it.”

Sasuke thinks back to their conversation on top of Hokage mountain-- humiliatingly, he feels his cheeks warm up.

“Are you in love with him?” He says tightly, trying to throw the conversation back in his favor. Normally, Sasuke is immune to intimidation and interrogation tactics, but this isn’t either of those-- Gaara’s eyes are hard, but not hateful and what he says strikes frightening close to a place he isn’t quite ready to acknowledge yet.“Is that why you’re so concerned about him?” Gaara’s eyes narrow a fraction of an inch.

“I _do_ love him, hence my concern, but if you’re implying that my feelings are anything but platonic, you’re off the mark. Naruto pulled me out of a dark place, and I’ll be grateful for that every day for the rest of my life. I’ve watched him suffer and bleed to bring you out of it too, and you shouldn't take that for granted."

Sasuke falls into a humbled silence, staring down at his mug upon the desk, at the harsh shadows cut by the setting sun.

“I think you’re overestimating me,” he mutters.  

Gaara smiles almost knowingly.

“No, I don’t think I am.”

Just then, Naruto takes the opportunity to throw the door of the office open, one arm around Kankuro who was dressed down in a pair of cargo pants and an oil-stained tank top, his face paint-free.

“Let’s go out tonight!” Naruto cheers. “I’ve eaten nothing but roasted rabbit for the past two nights, I want some _real_ food!” Kankuro gives Gaara a look of _utter_ exhaustion.

“A little warning next time would be nice,” he mutters. “I was working with _poison gas.”_

Gaara smiles obliviously.

“My apologies.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah...”

They give Kankuro enough time to change into something not stained with paint and grease, but barely. Sasuke doesn’t know why Kankuro bothered listing out places to eat: as soon as he mentioned the noodle bar, Naruto had made a beeline for it despite Kankuro’s protests.

The owner of the restaurant is a mountain of a man, but that doesn't stop his bald forehead from perspiring heavily and his hands from wringing nervously when he comes to greet the Kazekage and his guests. He leads them to the back corner, where a private booth sits, sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant with a curtain of beads. Kankuro and Gaara take one side, Naruto and Sasuke take the other.

“I've never had Suna ramen before-- how different is it?” Naruto asks, excitement practically bubbling out of him as he stares down at the menu. Kankuro shrugs, leaning back and flipping through his own menu lazily.

“It's spicier. Different seasonings and shit-- I dunno, try it and compare it yourself. I'm not a ramen guru,” he says. Naruto hums, almost drooling as he stares down at the pictures artfully arranged amidst dish titles and prices. A thought suddenly strikes him, or he might have just been doing a fantastic impression of a person getting struck by lightning. He seizes Sasuke’s shoulders, his expression _deathly_ serious.

“I should be a ramen guru,” Naruto says. There’s silence at the table.

“What?” Sasuke blurts.

“A ramen guru! We’re travelling, aren’t we? I should try the ramen from all the places we go to!” He clasps his hands together and gazes up at the ceiling, a blissed out expression on his face. “Imagine that-- all different kinds of ramen from around the world!”

“Sounds like hell,” Sasuke deadpanned. Naruto’s expression drops and he whacks Sasuke’s arm, turning away from him.

“Well I never said _you_ had to try them with me. You can just enjoy your boring normie food, I guess.” Gaara props his cheek in his hand, watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eye.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he says.

Sasuke gives him a stink eye.

“Don’t encourage him.”

“TOO LATE! It’s decided, I’m a ramen guru now. Gaara, do you have any paper? I wanna write this down-- I’m gonna keep track of all the ramen places I go from now on.” Gaara stares Sasuke straight in the eye as he reaches into his coat and pulls out a small notepad, a pen tucked into the spiral binding.

“I’m sure you’ll be great at it, Naruto.”

Sasuke sighs and buries his face in his menu-- looks like he was stuck with this now. Gaara’s face was utterly expressionless, but he could _tell_ he was taking immense joy in irritating the unflappable Uchiha. Kankuro wasn’t even being subtle about it: he was snorting unabashedly. At least, until Gaara kicks him under the table, forcing him to school his expression. He clears his throat, shifts in his chair.

“So, how has Konoha been doing? Aside from the official junk sent in the reports,” Kankuro asks, changing the topic with all of the social grace of a three-legged bull. Naruto glances up from where he’s already rapidly scribbling something in the notepad.

“Good!” Naruto chirps.

“Getting better,” Sasuke murmurs, deciding on his dish and closing the menu. “A _lot_ of reforms are happening, especially with who we let run the village.” Kankuro hums and unwraps his cutlery and begins making his fork walk across the table with chakra strings.

“That sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“It is. The daimyo have been bitching every step of the way.”

“Of course they are.”

Brief rivalry forgotten, Kankuro and Sasuke dissolve into a political conversation and Naruto loses interest quickly. He already knew all of this stuff-- Tsunade was already taking him under her wing and allowing him in on some of the more sensitive processes of being Hokage: a thought that made him _extremely_ excited. He tried not to think about it too hard, though, because he knew it was probably still a long ways off.

The waitress approaches, halting the darker haired duo in the middle of discussing alternative methods of separating power, and orders are taken. Naruto is in the middle of his (unnecessarily long) order when the owner of the restaurant shuffles up, hands fluttering.

“Lord Kazekage, your sister is requesting to be sat with you.”

Gaara blinks, his only show of surprise, before waving his hand.

“Sure.”

Barely a moment later, Temari is flicking the beaded curtains aside with a grin. She's still dressed for combat, only missing her massive fan and the smell of campfires and desert sand clinging to her, but she's grinning slyly as she pulls up a chair from another table and plops herself down on it.

“What, you're having a family dinner and you didn't invite me?” She drawls, raising an eyebrow. Gaara chuckles, passing his menu to her to glance at.

“I didn't think you'd be back till tomorrow,” he admits. “Everything alright in Iwa?”

Temari makes a noise in the back of her throat, wrinkling her nose as if smelling something awful.

“Everything’s fine, I'll give you the details later. No mission talk during dinner, I'm _starving_.” Temari glances at the menu for half a second before shrugging and closing it. “I'll have the special. And can we get a bottle of sake for the table? I'm disappointed you guys don't have one already, you squares.”

The chatter devolves into meaningless little conversations, drifting from some of Kankuro’s latest puppet upgrades to Gaara’s newfound love of raising cacti and succulents to Naruto’s incredibly detailed review and comparison of his ramen to--

“Kankuro, did your thing with Shino go anywhe-- ow, _shit!”_ The table jerks almost violently as Kankuro kicks Temari under the table.

_“Temari.”_

Too late.

“Did your _what_ with _who?!”_ Naruto blurts, slapping his hands down on the table. Kankuro’s face, already flushed from the alcohol, turns beet red and he crosses his arms tightly.

“Nothing! My nothing with nobody! Shut up!” He snaps. Gaara drains his latest dish of sake with a straight face and sets it down gently.

“He made out with Shino the last time he came to visit,” he says placidly.

 **_“Gaara.”_ ** Kankuro looks absolutely mortified, and it only gets worse when Naruto bursts out in howling laughter. Temari is right there with him, and even Sasuke cracks a smile behind his own dish of sake. He’s slouched against the chair, the drinks making his limbs feel heavy and loose; every once in awhile Naruto’s elbow or shoulder will jostle him, but he finds that he doesn't mind it all that much.

Temari and Naruto tease Kankuro for a little while more, interrogating him for details on how good of a kisser Shino was (which he didn't answer) and when he planned on properly asking him out (which was _never_ , because he probably doesn't even like him like that!)

As the sand siblings argue and tease, Sasuke glances down at his bowl, which still has a some broth and noodles in it. He pushes it to the side, nudging Naruto.

“You want the rest of mine?”

“ _Fuck_ yeah.”

Naruto snatches the bowl and tips it up, draining it in a few slurps. He lets out a small burp as he finishes, licking his lips.

“You're the best, Sasuke,” he compliments. He's smiling widely, and it feels like sunlight on Sasuke’s face. He blames the warmth on the sake and glances away.

“Tch.”

Eventually Temari gets tired of drilling Kankuro about his Definitely-Not-A-Crush and stands up, stretching languidly.

“I'm gonna head home, I'm beat. It's good seeing you Naruto. And Sasuke, I guess.” She shrugs, sniggering to herself. She pulls a few bills from the pouch on her hip and lays them on the table. “Don't get lost heading home!”

With that, she slips between the beaded strings of the curtain and weaves her way through the tables and out the door. Kankuro mimics her, standing up with a grumble.

“I have a mission tomorrow, I need some sleep. And I need to get away from you _heathens.”_ He gives Naruto a pointed stink eye. He leaves some money on the table and heads out as well. Sasuke leans forward and picks up the sake bottle-- there's still a little left, so he upends it and drains the last mouthful. Gaara waves for the check, only to have the owner cheerfully explain that the Kazekage and his guests are always on the house.

Sasuke leaves a bundle of bills under the plate anyways.

Gaara drank the least, so he takes the lead out of the restaurant. If you didn't see the slight flush on his cheeks, you wouldn't have even realized he had _anything_ to drink. Sasuke, much to his chagrin, is having trouble getting out of the chair. Naruto notices and wastes no time poking fun.

“Having a little trouble there, bastard?” He teases. Sasuke purses his lips, glaring.

“Shut up, I'm fine,” he mutters, extracting himself from the table and beginning to weave through the mostly empty restaurant. What time was it even? Well, late, at least.

“Sure.”

Naruto is suddenly ahead of him and Sasuke sneers.

“You drank almost as much as I did, how are you moving like that?” He complains as he pushes open the restaurant doors and nearly stumbles out onto the street. A cool breeze kisses his face and it’s a relief-- at leas the desert nights are kind. The sun had completely set, and the light that spilled across the street in burnt clay tones came from lanterns and string lights on the shops lining the streets.

“I can't actually get drunk,” Naruto says simply. “Kurama won't let me.”

Of course.

He feels Naruto slip under his arm, pulling it over his shoulder and putting his hand on Sasuke’s hip.

“What are you doing?”

“Dude, you were about to run into that old lady.”

“I was not, I saw her!”

“Sure but you still nearly knocked her over.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me, bastard.”

Despite the bickering, Sasuke doesn't attempt to extract himself from Naruto’s grip; the relief from the chill in the air has faded and now he’s just plain cold, but Naruto radiates heat like a furnace, so this is the most logical course of action at the moment.

Tch, logical. Like _that's_ the word for this.

They manage to make it back to the Kazekage tower without incident, but Naruto was practically carrying Sasuke by that point. He was so _tired._

Naruto tosses him in bed, which is kind of shocking because Sasuke didn't remember going up a flight of stairs. Part of him says he should be terrified of the vulnerability, but another part of him smothers it-- Naruto’s still got his wits about him, which is safe enough for the time being.

Naruto’s saying something.

“...lightweight, you big baby.”

“Shut up,” Sasuke muttered instinctively. Naruto laughs and Sasuke feels his sandals being pried off. He cracks open one eye and watches as Naruto loosens and peels off his tool belt, setting it down on the pack he had abandoned earlier.

Naruto notices him watching.

“What?”

The leaden weight of a familiar set of words weighs on his tongue, but now he's too tipsy to keep them in check.

“Why are you here?” He murmurs. Naruto raises an eyebrow, a bemused smile tugging at his lips.

“‘Cause you're drunk and incapable?” He says. Sasuke screws his eyes shut, covering them with his arm.

“No, I mean... why are you _here?”_

Naruto pauses, the true meaning of the question sinking in. Sasuke feels the bed dip as he sits, and he's rubbing at that mark on his hand again-- a new thoughtless tic he’s picked up.

“Because you're one of the most important people in my life,” he says eventually. His mouth opens and closes wordlessly for a moment, searching for the right words. The anticipation is _excruciating,_ but Sasuke forces himself to be patient. Because that’s what they did, isn’t it? Waited.

“You're the only one who... doesn't look at me weird. You _get_ me, you know?” He looks down at Sasuke, a soft, crooked smile in his face. “I like that. I like _you,_ despite everything.”

Sasuke drops his arm and sighs. It’s enough, for now.

“You're so sappy.”

“Shut up.”

A chuckle bubbles up between them and Naruto pushes himself up off the bed, moving over to his own.

“Goodnight, you clingy drunk.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Sappy.”

* * *

 

**_7.3.XX_ **

Naruto spends the next two days in Suna pinballing around the village. Several shinobi from the war heard of his presence in and Naruto was flagged down at every turn, shaking hands, accepting thanks, pausing for photos. It irritates him, Sasuke can tell. The whole _point_ of this trip was to get away from public pressures, but it’s hard to sneak around when you’re wearing eye-watering orange. They’d have to change that soon.

Sasuke, on the rare occasion he was recognized, was met with cool looks at best, blatant ignorance at worst. So, he spent the majority of his time in the little guest room they occupied, reading books or writing letters back to Konoha.

Though the latter activity wasn't as easy at it sounded.

Tsunade’s reports were simple enough. He told her they were in Suna, and their plans to move north after this. A promise that he was definitely staying out of trouble came at the end.

Sakura’s were... harder.

His interactions with her over the past several years had been sparse, and that was putting it nicely. Most of the time his head was too far up his own ass to take notice of her. He didn't know much of what she had been up to, how she had changed, or what she was doing post-war, aside from her ramblings from the night before they had left.

He felt decently ashamed.

In the end, he kept his letter blunt and simple, but even then it took nearly an hour to fill up the small scroll he had requested. He passed both scrolls to a chunin in the halls, who took them to the roostery where the messenger birds were kept.

Naruto returns as the sun is setting, snorting a little as he watches Sasuke stretch himself out across the floor, his bangs pinned back for once.

“I didn't know you were into yoga,” he taunts. Sasuke gives him a flat look as he lifts up from his straddle.

“It's just stretching. You should do it more often-- you'd complain less about cramps on the road,” Sasuke shoots back easily. Naruto scrunches up his face, sticking his tongue out. He crosses to his bed and begins shoving his stray clothes into his backpack, making sure everything is tucked away.

“Why do you always turn everything into a lecture? You're like my _mom.”_

Sasuke watches him move about and ceases his movements, instead leaning back against the bed frame.

“We’re leaving?” He asks. Naruto pauses and looks over.

“Yeah, Gaara’s been postponing some of his duties to spend more time with me, but I don't want it to pile up too bad. Plus I can tell big villages make you uncomfortable.”

Sasuke huffs under his breath but doesn't correct him. He keeps forgetting that things he _thinks_ he's hiding are plain as day to Naruto. Speaking of which, he's still talking...

“I've already talked to Gaara about us leaving. He says the guards will let us go whenever we decide to.”

Sasuke feels a bit of relief trickle into him. That meant--

“Ready to go?” Naruto shoulders his pack, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Sasuke stands, stepping into his shoes and picking up his bag.

“Yeah, sure.”

* * *

**_9.4.XX_ **

Moving north brings dropping temperatures, especially as the year begins to shift into fall, and eventually it gets too cold to sleep without shelter.

Investing in a two-person tent isn't the fight Sasuke thought it would be: another example of the ways Naruto’s changed without Sasuke realizing it. _You stay on your side and I stay on mine,_ he had said with a shrug. It’s a thin but respected boundary that both frustrates and relieves Sasuke.

He doesn’t think too much about the “frustrate” part.

They slowly meander their way north, crossing into the Land of Earth. The country lives up to the name, and much of the time is spent rock climbing, alternating between thick forests and barren, rocky shelves. Time seems to stand still in areas like these; the days don't really matter when you're this far out of the way. Birdsong and wildlife surround them, creating a tentative veil that both are reluctant to tear. So they filled the time with quiet conversation, their bickering at an all time low.

And boy did they have a _lot_ to converse about.

It's almost like a methodical unboxing. Naruto’s never been the type to hide his feelings: he brandishes his heart on his sleeve and it's been one of his most formidable weapons so far.

But these are... different kinds of emotions-- selfishly, Sasuke feels like they were made only to be seen by him. They're not the kind that Naruto yells, but the kind he whispers with fidgeting fingers, eyes casting this way and that. It’s peeling apart layers of old hurts, old shames that he’s buried under training and fighting and chasing. It’s the kind he mumbles while laying on his back, staring up at off-yellow canvas, his arm _almost_ brushing Sasuke’s. Sometimes his voice cracks, but Sasuke doesn't comment.

Sasuke realizes that he didn't quite understand the searing truth of his own words from back then: _“you had_ **_nothing,_ ** _you were alone from the start!”_

“I dunno... I agreed with everyone when they said I was stupid for a long time. But nobody ever _told_ me these things! Everyone takes them for granted, knowing about chakra systems and diets and stuff. Nobody _told_ me about those things; I had to figure everything out on my own. _Everything._ ”

Sasuke thinks, achingly, about his early days. Back when Itachi had sat him in his lap with a scroll and told him about the energy that _made_ a ninja.

“Itachi taught me about that,” Sasuke murmurs. “Chakra, I mean. He gathered some in his hand and I accidentally headbutted him in the face because I thought his hand was on fire.” Naruto sniggers, elbowing Sasuke gently.

“Some prodigy you are.”

“Bite me, asshole.”

The silence stretches and Sasuke yawns, shifting.

“When I'm Hokage, nothing like that is _ever_ going to happen.”

Something cold slices through his gut, and sudden Sasuke isn’t tired anymore..

“...What?”

“I talked to Tsunade about... what happened with the Uchiha clan. Turns out, _she_ didn't even know. We had to dig up some old files but... nothing like that should have ever happened. I'm sorry about Itachi.”

“Tch...” Sasuke rolls over, turning his back to Naruto. “It's not like you had anything to do with it.”

His voice is wavering but thankfully it doesn't crack.

“It's still not _fair.”_

“Just drop it, Naruto.”

“But--"

“I said _drop it.”_

Naruto growls, low in his chest, but he rolls over, putting himself as far away as he could in the small tent. He mutters something but Sasuke is just too fucking tired to _care._

* * *

**_9.5.XX_ **

Naruto isn't there when he wakes up.

Sasuke shoots up into a sitting position, rubbing sleep from his eyes. How did he sneak out so easily? Why didn't he say anything?

Sasuke burst out of the tent, only to stop dead as he saw Naruto stepping over a bush, two strange looking birds dangling in his fist. His eyes catch on Sasuke and he stops, holding up the birds with a grin.

“I caught breakfast.”

Sasuke heaves out an irritated sigh: his breath plumes in front of him in the frigid morning air.

“Tell me when you're gonna go off on your own,” he mutters, stalking back into the tent because his feet are fucking _freezing._

“Sorry, sorry!” Naruto drawls, not sounding sorry at all. He sits down and begins plucking the birds, humming to himself. “I found some eggs, too. Maybe we could have an omelette or something.”

Sasuke exits the tent again, this time dressed and with his shoes on. He starts up the fire and sits down heavily beside it, warming his hand on the budding flames. His hair is still a bedheaded nightmare, but it's too early to care-- dawn is only just beginning to break and it's not like they're going to be seeing people today anyways.

“Sorry,” Sasuke mutters eventually, when the birds are skewered and roasting over the fire.

“Hm?”

“For last night. For yelling.”

Apologizing isn't something his good at, but Naruto’s face splits into a smile anyways.

“Nah, don't sweat it. If I held on to every pissy thing you've said, I'd have died of a heart attack years ago.”

Sasuke scowls, which only makes Naruto laugh again.

“Thanks, though. It's nice to hear. And besides...” Naruto picks up his roasted bird and points it at Sasuke, and there's suddenly a _fire_ in his eyes-- a look that makes Sasuke’s heart trip over itself and the last vestiges of sleep to slip from his mind.

“I meant what I said last night. I'm gonna be the best fucking Hokage Konoha has ever seen. I’m gonna change the _world._ ”

He tears a chunk off of his bird, but the moment is ruined when he squawks, fanning his mouth with tears in his eyes.

“Hot! _Hot, hot, hot!”_

Sasuke covers his face with his hands, shaking with laughter. It’s so ridiculous, the way Naruto can wield his words like a brand in one second, and then burn his tongue on hot food in the next. Sasuke bursts out in warm genuine laughter, sliding one hand over his face. He looks up at Naruto, a crooked grin on his face.

“God, I don’t doubt it.”

If there’s anyone who could shift the axis of the world, it was Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

**_9.9.XX_ **

“Hey, the river! Bet I can make a bigger splash than you, bastard!”

“Wait, what-- oi, _Naruto!”_

Naruto dodges his swipe, cackling as he throws his pack down at the base of a tree, stripping with impressive speed as he darts through the trees and launches himself into the mountain creek that they’ve heard on and off for the past few miles. Sasuke curses under his breath and follows after him, dropping his pack as well-- they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon, apparently.

He searches up and down the patch of river; it’s a good twenty feet across, with a small waterfall a ways to the left. A cloud of bubbles appears near the middle of the creek and Naruto pops from below the surface with a gasp. He grins cheekily at Sasuke, still very much fully clothed and not very tempted to jump in as well.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Aw, c’mon! The water’s great!”

“I’m not jumping in.”

“If you don’t jump in, I’ll drag you in.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Do you wanna test that?”

Naruto’s grin is absolutely shit-eating. Sasuke decides that he does not actually want to test that. So he heaves a massive sigh and begins stripping off his clothes, prompting Naruto to whoop with delight. Down to his boxers, Sasuke toes the water with a grimace-- it’s freezing, of course.

“RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!”

Sasuke only has the time to whip his head around frantically before a shadow clone is launching at him from behind, grabbing his head and yanking him forward into the water.

Sasuke bursts out of the water with an involuntary gasp-- it’s so cold, _it’s so fucking cold._ Familiar howling laughter makes him whirl around, absolutely _furious._

“You _dick!”_

Naruto is still cackling as he nimbly dodges away from Sasuke’s angry jabs, vanishing under the surface only to appear several feet away. Eventually, Sasuke decides it’s not worth the time and kicks to the river bank, finally putting his feet down on soft silt and sand. He shakes his hair out, pushing it back off his forehead.

“Aw, I’m sorry Sasuke! Don’t get out, please?” Sasuke turns around, still glowering. Naruto gives him puppy eyes, sticking his lip out in a fantastically childish pout.

Childish though it might have been, Sasuke couldn’t deny that it was effective.

He sighs and turns around, wading back into the water. After the initial cold shock wore off, he couldn’t deny that it was refreshing-- despite the frigid night temperatures, it got absolutely boiling during midday, especially with the sun beating down on them.

Naruto splashes him, drawing his attention.

“Seriously, sorry for pushing you in. I couldn’t resist,” he says with a sheepish grin. Sasuke huffs, pushing off the bottom and gliding through the water.

“I don’t know why I expected anything less.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Whatever you want it to mean, idiot.”

Naruto narrows his eyes suspiciously, but apparently decides it means something nice because he shrugs and begins swimming circles around Sasuke.

“You know, I had to cut a waterfall in half when I was learning the rasenshuriken,” he says thoughtfully, eyeing the waterfall at the end of the creek. Sasuke raises an eyebrow, treading in place as he watches Naruto flounder about.

“Why?”

“I was learning wind release. Man, that feels like so long ago,” he sighs, shifting onto his back and letting his natural buoyancy keep him afloat. “Before Pein destroyed the village and all the shit with Obito kicked off. Before everything got complicated.” Sasuke grunts in agreement, drawing in a breath before submerging below the surface. The sounds of the world fade away, reduced to the faint sound of crashing water and his own heartbeat.

A minute or two later, he pops up again, shaking out his hair. He clicks his tongue irritably and forces it back-- he really should get a haircut soon.

Naruto pops up an inch from his face, making him flinch back.

“Race you to that driftwood and back,” he says deviously, pointing down the creek. “Loser has to catch dinner, ready GO!” Without even waiting for Sasuke to agree, he sucks in a breath and darts off, stroking easily with the current.

“Asshole!” Sasuke dives after without a thought-- like _hell_ he was going to be stuck with tracking down rabbits if he could help it.

It could have only been a few minutes, but when both boys drag themselves onto the bank, they’re panting like hounds. Naruto laughs breathlessly, socking Sasuke in the arm.

“HA! One to zero, me,” he snickers. Sasuke sniffs, nursing his bruised pride.

“You got a head start.”

“I _said_ “ready, go”, it’s not my fault you have shit reflexes.”

“Go jump off a cliff.”

“You know you’d miss me.”

“Tch.”

Sasuke stares up through the tree canopy, listening as the wind pushes splatters of sunlight over his chest and arms. Goosebumps rise on his skin, but he lets them run their course, and eventually the sun chases them away. He tries to fight his heavy lids, but then the realization hits them that there’s no reason not to-- it’s not like their under any time restraints; he could just lay here all day if he wanted to.

So he closes his eyes and lets out a breath and thinks.

For a long time, Sasuke defined his life in moments. Milestone to milestone with little care for what happened in between. After all, why did it matter? His entire life had been leading up to single moments-- killing Itachi, destroying Konoha, ending Kabuto’s jutsu. So much of his life had been _miserable_ , so why bother holding onto it? Nothing ever stayed.

He opens his eyes and glances to his side; Naruto looks to be on the verge of falling asleep, his breaths coming slow and easy.

Nobody had ever stayed but Naruto.

He didn’t... want to bury things anymore. He didn’t want to forget about moments like these: quiet, simple moments, unremarkable but for the fact that he was spending them with Naruto at his side, without an obligation in the world. All of the twisted things inside his gut, all the regrets and trauma seemed to relax for just a moment, making things seem... more clear. It makes the big things seem easier to put in perspective.

It had seemed so easy before, throwing himself into the darkness because if he didn’t do it, who would? There would _always_ be darkness in the world, just because the world was at peace now didn’t mean it would stay that way. Logically, he knew it _had_ to be done.

... But did it have to be _him?_

Selfish it might have been, but the thought of burrowing away from Naruto’s light made his chest ache. He had tasted what it was light to bask in the sun, to feel the amber warmth of Naruto’s infectious enthusiasm, and he was hopelessly addicted. Despite the blood, despite the hurt and the hate that plagued their relationship for so long, if he had to pick someone to follow to hell, he’d pick Naruto-- without hesitation, without regret, every time. Shadows are fine when you have nothing, but when you have _Naruto,_ it’s impossible want anything but _light._

That’s the thing, wasn’t it? Even without the marks branded into their hands, Naruto had chosen him again and again and again. They were here, laying on a riverbank, feet in the water, because Naruto had chosen to bring them here. Sasuke had chosen to go with him.

The leaves rustle, the sunlight shifts. Sasuke lets a slow breath pass through his lungs, and it feels like he’s letting something go. Like washing an acrid taste out of his mouth that he didn’t know was there.

Gently, he works his fingers under Naruto’s hand where it rests in the sand. Naruto hums, but doesn’t say anything-- only lets their finger intertwine loosely.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Sasuke murmurs softly. Naruto squeezes his hand briefly.

“I’m glad you’re here, too.”

There’s the sound of shifting sand and Sasuke turns his head, only to see Naruto already looking at him. His crystalline eyes are soft, somewhat sleepy, and he’s smiling. Sunlight caresses his tan face in unidentifiable shapes, there’s sand in his hair, but that doesn’t stop lightning-like flash of clarity in his mind: Naruto was absolutely, utterly, undeniably gorgeous. Sasuke feels the tug in his chest, like he’s an asteroid being pulled into Naruto’s impossibly powerful gravity. Naruto is the sun, and Sasuke is a pebble of a planet, helpless to resist the feelings that bubble up in his chest.

Sasuke’s heart stutters, and the only thought in his brain is _oh._

_This is what it feels like._


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sponsored (not really) by Coloring Outside the Lines by Misterwives. Seriously, if you've never heard that, it's a BOP and also really captures the vibe of this fic that I'm trying to pull off. 
> 
> Uhhhh you might notice that I've upped the chapter count. This is due to the utterly unsurprising development that I am a predictable Bitch Bastard and I enjoy writing about these dumbasses too much. Also I forgot to make room for an epilogue. 
> 
> At the end of the chapter I've included some notes about some references I've made throughout this chapter, just in case y'all wanted some Fun Facts about this fic you might not have caught

**_12.2.XX_ **

Naruto hip checks him gently, handing over some kind of kabob; none of the ingredients recognizable aside from some kind of meat/vegetable combo, but whatever it is, it smells fantastic and Sasuke is too hungry to question it. He takes the kabob offered, and then steals one of the two gripped in Naruto’s hand. He doesn’t know whether his laughing resignation is embarrassing or not, but decides firmly to Not Care.

“The elder says we’re welcome to stay for the celebrations,” Naruto says with a grin as he sinks his teeth into his own kabob. “Apparently, this is the anniversary of them offing some corrupt leader years ago, so it’s supposed to be all about generosity and community around this time. Lucky for us, yeah? These skewers are _delicious.”_

“Hn.”

Sasuke isn’t quite sure where they are. He knows they’re in the Land of Grass, but aside from that, he’s lost. He doesn’t even know the name of this backwater village, hiding in the heart of a swamp where everyone had difficult-to-understand accents and interesting piercings. But they were welcoming, despite their cultural differences, and best of all-- they had no clue who Naruto and Sasuke were. Not even his resting bitch face seems to put them off, and he’s already had to politely turn down three _propositions_.  

One of them had come from an older man, and Naruto teased him _relentlessly_ after the man had accepted the rejection in stride and had walked off.

“He thinks you’re a hot twink-- _oof_ ,” Naruto whispers, a hand hovering secretively around his mouth until Sasuke punches him in the gut.

“Shut. Up.”

Naruto cackles but takes a step back and returns to chowing down on his skewered food. Wisely, because Sasuke was about mad enough to supplex him soon.

There are three men in what can roughly be called the center of the village, plucking on some stringed instruments and singing jovilly as they sit around a massive bonfire. It’s the dead of winter, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it anywhere near that beast of bonfire. It climbed a good ten feet in the air, fueled by a neat stack of long branches piled in a pyramid formation.

Sasuke glances over as Naruto makes and obnoxious smacking sound as he sucks some juice from his fingers.

“Have a bit more class, idiot,” he chastises. Naruto wrinkles his nose up in a grin.

“Bold of you to assume I had any to begin with,” he says cheekily, going back to gnawing on what was probably a mushroom. Hopefully. Sasuke clicks his tongue, and picks another piece of meat off the skewer with more reserve than his blond partner.

Both of them watch the village inhabitants prance merrily about the bonfire, laughing and whooping as their feet pound the dirt. Almost everyone is partnered off, laughing as hands clasp hands and waists and shoulders, clinging to each other as they hop and shuffle.

Sasuke _really_ hopes that Naruto isn't going to drag him into that.

“You’ve noticed them, right?” Naruto says quietly, using his pinky to dig a bit of grizzle from his teeth. Sasuke hums, but gives no outward reaction to the statement.

“They’ve been following us for two days now. I really hope they don’t plan to start something here,” he mutters. Naruto burps and makes a show of flicking his skewer into the bonfire several feet to their right.

“They probably will. Let’s go dance!”

 _God dammit._ Sasuke flinches when Naruto’s hand latches onto his wrist and begins hauling him towards the dancing throng of people.

“No, _no,_ absolutely not!” He hisses, digging his heels into the dirt, trying to save his dignity. “I don’t dance!”

“Don’t be a sourpuss, Sasuke! We don’t wanna be rude to the people giving us free food, yeah? Let’s _go!”_ Naruto looks back at him and Sasuke grimaces as something in his eyes convinces him to allow it. God, Naruto was going to _pay_ for this later. He could already feel sweat beading on his brow as they got closer to the bonfire, though he couldn’t tell if it was from the heat or his own embarrassment.

It’s unfair, how easily Naruto grabs him around the waist, clasping his single hand tightly and taking him through the simple step dance that everyone’s been doing. He could have been _born_ here for all the difficulty he has finding the rhythm, while Sasuke is just trying to keep both feet beneath him.

Naruto’s got that infuriatingly bright grin on his face though, so Sasuke grits his teeth and bears it. Naruto swings him around, laughing as Sasuke nearly trips, and settles into the forward-back-side-to-side rhythm.

“There’s two guys up in the trees,” he breathes, smile still pinned in place. “How many guys behind me?”

Sasuke nearly trips again.

Oh, _that’s_ why they were doing this.

“Three,” he responds, staring down at his feet as his body quickly picks up on the pattern and adjusts accordingly. “Two on the roof, one under the house.”

Naruto spins him again, tossing him out before reeling him back in and to Sasuke’s _utter_ mortification, dips him down so low his hair nearly brushes the ground.

Sasuke’s skin is absolutely _burning_ and he knows that it’s not from the bonfire this time around. His heart is beating erratically, and it's all he can do to keep his expression under control instead of giving into the tingling in his fingers that itch to fist in the back of Naruto’s cloak and yank him closer. It’s just _something_ about feeling his entire weight supported effortlessly in Naruto’s arms, but he knows if he thinks about it too hard it’ll lead to thoughts that are not appropriate for public spaces and _definitely_ not appropriate when they may or may not be under attack. So he squashes it, and focuses on dancing and observing, because it’s the simplest and the least likely to cause him to spring an awkward semi.

“What do you think we should do?” Sasuke asks, and then frowns when Naruto shrugs.

“We could try talking to them? They might be friendly.”

_“SASUKE UCHIHA!”_

The village screeches to a standstill, music falling silent and feet ceasing in their joyful skipping. Fear and confusion is suddenly on the faces of every villager, but they do little but stand and stare. Sasuke and Naruto whip their heads around to the source of the furious yelling. At the end of the road stands a beast of a man, his chest heaving with tension. A mangy fur mantle is draped over his shoulders, and chains wrap around his forearms, dangling down to the ground and ending in vicious looking spiked balls. He points a finger directly at Sasuke.

“Today, you _die.”_

Naruto still has his hands around Sasuke’s waist. He whistles softly, eyebrows perked.

“Well, he got right to it, didn’t he? Want me to leave this one to you?” He asks. “I’ll take care of the lackeys.”

Sasuke steps out of Naruto’s reach, putting a hand on his sword, eyes narrowing irritably.

“Make sure you don’t get the villagers caught up in it.”

“Of course-- who do you think I am?”

Several clones flicker into existence, and Naruto launches himself into the nearby tree and there’s a startled yelp from within the branches. One down.

“Can I help you?” Sasuke calls to the beast man. Nothing about him is familiar, but considering his track record, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s made enemies without actually meeting them.

“You will _pay_ for what you did to my son!” He snarls. Sasuke pauses (son?), and nearly receives a spiked ball to the face for it. Despite his size, the man is _fast_ and he wields those chains with deadly speed and accuracy. He’s still getting used to fighting with only one hand, and for a hot minute it’s all he can do to avoid being brained.

A lucky hit wraps the chain around his sword, and with a violent tug, it’s wrenched out of his hand. Unfazed, Sasuke pulls out a kunai and darts in close, catching the man off guard and managing to slice open his bicep. Sasuke counts the seconds as he attacks and parries with incredible speed-- _four, five, six--_ until he lands a solid hit to the man’s gut. He discharges a moderate amount of electricity, making him retch and jerk back.

He uses the reprieve to pick up his discarded sword, and brandishes it at the ready, waiting for his enemy to regain his footing. But there's something sti _nagging_ at him, something he should know, should remember, but he doesn't and it sets his teeth on edge.

“What’s your name?” Sasuke calls. He _really_ doesn’t feel like killing this man, but he also doesn’t want to let him live and be tailed _again._ The man spits a mouthful of blood, wiping some off his chin.

“You don’t even remember him, do you?” He growls. Sasuke tightens his grip on his sword, the nagging feeling intensifying.

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

Sasuke sidesteps the chain as it’s hurled at him, not taking his eyes off the man, watching the way his wrist twitches as a means of keeping track of the flying ball and chain. He charges with a furious roar, spinning the spiked weights in either hand and then launching them. Sasuke diverts one with his sword, dodges another, but then the man lets go of them, sending them sailing off, and Sasuke’s surprise earns him a earth-rattling sock to the jaw.

He crashes back, skidding across the dirt, ears ringing, and gets back to his feet just barely fast enough to avoid getting his ribcage smashed in with another heavy fist. Sasuke wipes the blood from his chin and realizes that he should probably be taking this more seriously. Not only for his sake, but the village’s as well.

Pressure builds behind his eye as his sharingan flickers to life. Sasuke launches himself with enough force to crack the earth, and he throws everything he has into a barrage of punches and kicks that are, frustratingly enough, blocked and evaded for the most part. His chance comes when the other man makes the mistake of catching one of his fists.

“I’ll be borrowing this,” he says flatly, and Sasuke forms a series of quick seals using the man’s hand. He spits a curse, but it’s too late. Using the man’s broad chest as a springboard, he kicks back and lands, thrusting out his hand as several snakes shoot from his sleeve and thoroughly entangle him. One of the snakes sinks its fangs deep into his shoulder for good measure. To his credit, the man only grunts.

Sasuke stands, wiping dirt from his knees, and approaches the man. He unsheathes his sword and points it under his chin. He glares up, and Sasuke notices for the first time that his eyes are a brilliant green, almost chartreuse.

For some reason, he gets a sinking feeling in his gut. He was _forgetting something._

“Why are you here?” He demands. The man spits at his feet.

“My name is Goro Hatori. Two years ago, you and your fucking henchmen came into my village, stole my son and killed the rest of us. It’s comforting to know you haven’t changed a bit-- I used to be guilty about wanting to kill a kid, but not anymore.” Goro’s lips peel back in a snarl. “You're no fucking _kid.”_

Two years ago... That was--

Sasuke flinches back bodily, his sword nearly falling from his fingers.

He remembers.

He remembers being fourteen. He remembers Orochimaru taking them to a backwater village in the middle of nowhere, he remembers cold hands on his shoulders, a voice whispering in his ear, urging him that _if you can’t handle this, you’ll never have what it takes to kill Itachi._ He remembers chartreuse green eyes, a frightened kid about his age, who suddenly manifested an interesting kekkei genkai.

He remembers those eyes staring out at him from a fluid-filled tank. He remembers finding the tank empty, and coming to the conclusion that he hadn’t been able to handle whatever Orochimaru had done to him.

Goro Hatori grins viciously, blood in his teeth.

“You’re just like _him._ ”

Something cold and furious and irrational swells inside him and he raises his sword, hand shaking. He was _nothing_ like Orochimaru--

“Sasuke.”

A hand wraps around his wrist, clenching hard enough to make him wince and drop his sword. It sinks into the dirt, and Sasuke turns to stare at Naruto; his face is set grimly in a way he hasn’t seen in awhile.

“Go cool down. I got this,” he says. Sasuke wrenches his wrist from Naruto’s grip, yanking his sword from the dirt.

“I didn’t need your fucking help,” he snarls, but storms off anyways. His head is _pounding,_ and he feels feverish all over, shaky and unstable. He doesn’t stop walking until he hits the edge of the village, where a series of rickety docks allow passage over an area of muck and reeds. He sits down heavily at the end of one of them and sets his sword in his lap. It’s not particularly dirty, but he goes about cleaning it, because it gives him something to do.

It’s infinitesimally better than letting his thoughts run rampant.

He loses track of time, sitting out there. It’s freezing, this far away from the bonfire, but he pays no mind to it. He can hear voices in the distance, deep, masculine voices with accents that don't match the locals, but that’s all he can make out. There’s no yelling or the sounds of clashing weapons, so he trusts that Naruto has everything under control. If he could pull Sasuke fucking Uchiha from the trench of darkness he had sunk into, then he could certainly talk down a grieving father and whoever he was with.

He runs out of specks of dirt to clean from his blade, then he runs out of kunai to clean, and finally out of shuriken. His thoughts are loud, a cacophony of anxiety and self-hatred that always seems to linger just below the surface.

A twig snaps behind him. Lightning crackles up his arm and he turns his head a fraction of an inch.

“Take another step closer and I’ll disembowel you,” he says coldly. There’s a rattling of chains and then a thump as Goro sits down.

“Your friend back there has a real way with words, you know that?” He says gruffly. Sasuke huffs humorless and turns back to staring out at the swamp, sneering.

“I do. What to you want?”

“It ain’t to fight, if that’s what you’re after,” he says. “I have questions for you.”

Sasuke closes his eyes, flexing his hand habitually. He isn’t really in the _mood_ to be interrogated at the moment, but it doesn’t really seem like he has much of a choice in the matter. If he’s here, _talking_ to Sasuke, that means Naruto probably has something to do with it.

So he waits.

“What... happened to my boy? To Akari?”

The question is quiet, and even though Sasuke is expecting it, he still takes a moment to answer.

“He died. If it’s any consolation, I don’t think it was painful,” he says. Then adds, “and I had nothing to do with it.”

Goro spits.

“You took him in the first place, so don’t act all high and fuckin’ mighty with me, _boy.”_  

Sasuke’s hackles rise, but Goro doesn’t stand or attack him, so he forces himself to relax. His head is still throbbing and there’s an ache in his chest; he just wants to be alone.

...

That’s inaccurate. He wants _Naruto_ sitting there beside him, chasing away the shadows that were creeping into his mind. Even if it was just to chatter about pointless drivel until the voices in his head quiet down. The earlier fight couldn’t even be called a hard one, not in comparison to the foes he’s beaten in the past, but he finds himself exhausted anyways, still on edge with Goro in proximity.

“Is he dead too, then? The man you were with-- that Orochimaru.”

“Yes. You won’t have to worry about your kids being snatched anymore-- or anybody else’s for that matter. I’m not the person I was back then. I have no interest in pointless slaughter, so just... leave. Please.”

Goro makes a noise low in his throat, but stands anyways.

“I take back what I said. Back there.”

A mirthless smile crooks at Sasuke’s lips. It’s not like it matters anyways. He’d been absolutely ready to behead the man; some hero he was. He hears Goro stalking away, and _curse his mouth_ , Sasuke turns over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry about your son. I didn’t want to do it either.”

The footfalls pause for half a second, and then resume. And then they fade away, Goro never saying a word. It must have been a hot minute, but eventually Sasuke can faintly hear the music start up again. Leave it to Naruto to put people back in a celebratory mood after what was probably the closest thing to a near death experience they had ever been through.

Eventually, he hears Naruto approach from behind. He knows it’s him because he’s whistling along with the tune being played, purposefully stepping on the loudest twigs so that his approach isn’t a surprise. He comes to a stop behind Sasuke.

“Goro and the other guys left. Turns out they’re all brothers-- wild, yeah? Um... I, uh, apologized to the village elder, but she said no harm done. You’re welcome to come back if you want,” he says. Sasuke makes no show of hearing him; the only movement he makes is the slow furling and unfurling of his hands as he stares down at his brand. The black crescent moon didn’t glow like Naruto’s brand did-- in fact, it seemed to draw in light rather than expel it. It tied him indefinitely to the man behind him, but sometimes it served more as a reminder that him and Naruto were opposites-- in _everything._ They way they fit together felt so precarious, as if one shift could make this all wrong, corners that had once sat comfortably now digging in painfully. Goro and Akari probably hadn’t been the first people he’d hurt in his decision to side with Orochimaru, and they most certainly hadn’t been the last. How many more Goros would track him down? How many more people, _good_ people, would be have to defend himself against?

What if they didn’t back down, like Goro had?

What if--

“It’s really cold out here, sheesh. We should... head back, y’know?”

Sasuke starts minutely, jerked from his downward spiral.

“...I’ll catch up.”

“I think we both know that’s a bucket of horseshit.”

“...What?”

“I dunno, I heard the locals using it. It sounds funny.”

That pulls a huff from Sasuke’s numb lips. Eventually, Naruto relents and sits down next to him. His clothes are still warm from the bonfire, and Sasuke doesn’t realize how cold he’s actually gotten until Naruto’s thigh is pressing against his and his hand is being taken between two warmer ones.

“Are you okay?” He asks softly. Sasuke purses his lips.

“Not really,” he mumbles. His head still hurts, a persistent _throb, throb, throb_ with every beat of his heart, but now there’s something to do with his hands and someone to talk to, so it doesn’t feel so unmanageable. His head falls onto Naruto’s shoulder and he closes his eyes, letting out a long breath.

“Is there anything I can do?” Naruto asks. It’s a familiar question; this isn’t the first time Sasuke’s felt like this-- numb and tired, daunted with the sheer breadth of his mistakes. There was fumbling and fighting and misunderstanding at first, but Naruto is getting better at handling him. In the end, the best thing is to just wait it out. He opens up eventually, one way or another.

“Just... stay like this,” he sighs. “Just for a little bit.”

Naruto squeezes his hand.

“Alright.”

* * *

  ** _12.3.XX_ **

The nightmares aren’t surprising.

Almost as soon as Sasuke drifts to sleep in the straw-stuffed mattress, he’s plagued with sightless eyes and floating bodies, phantom agonies wracking his body. An old fear that if he’s not careful, if he’s not _perfect,_ he’ll end up in one of those tanks, naked and pumped so full of chemicals he doesn’t even know his own name. It’s been years since he’s been there, been under Orochimaru’s power, but he feels as brittle as dead leaf. He still feels the bone-deep bruises, the cuts and burns and torn muscles. Everything hurt so _badly,_ every atom in his body pierced with pain, sapping him of all physical, mental, and emotional energy.

So he ran.

He ran and he hid and he killed all the parts of him that felt the pain. He numbed himself to everything, listened to Orochimaru’s poison words with half an ear, let himself suffocate beneath the surface because nothing mattered, _he_ didn’t matter, only his goal, his dream, his pursuit--

_“Sasuke.”_

He snaps awake, lashing out with the kunai he keeps under his pillow before he even remembers where he is. Naruto catches his wrist easily, and he doesn’t even have to squeeze to get him to drop it this time. It tumbles to the ground over his head, sinking hilt-up in the dirt, and he wheezes, his arm shaking.

“Hey, it’s just me. Just me. There’s nobody else here, it was just a dream, hey.”

Sasuke yanks his arm back close to his chest, curling as he he gasps through the panic, knotting his fingers in the sheets as his hammering heart rate slowly calms. Naruto doesn’t touch him-- he learned his lesson after the first accidental black eye-- but his presence is there at his back, stable and calm and warm.

“Fuck,” Sasuke spits acidly.

Naruto snorts a little, the straw crinkling as he shifts a little.

“It sounded like it sucked,” he says. “Do... you wanna talk about it?” Sasuke swallows, letting out a shaky breath.

“No,” he says. It’s a coward’s answer, but Naruto just hums in acknowledgement.

“That’s fine. We could--”

“No, I mean I don’t... I don’t think I’m _ever_ going to want to talk about it.” Even though he’s facing away from Naruto, he still screws his eyes shut, because it’s a weakness and he _hates_ it, hates that he can’t talk about this to the one person that matters most to him in the world. But it’s still there, and it’s always going to be there, no matter how badly he wants to forget about the things he did, the people he hurt. It seems to stretch out before him, an enormous mountain he has no way of overcoming; it feels like anything he could ever do would never be enough to even chip the mountain, and he’s at a loss.

He needs _help,_ but he doesn’t know how to ask.

“When I was... oh, seven or eight, there was this book seller.”

The random topic shift is enough to snag Sasuke’s attention, through sheer confusion if nothing else

“I tried stealing something at some point. I don’t remember what, but he dragged me out behind the shop and beat me with a broom. He broke my ankle, and then made me crawl home.”

His voice drowns out the clattering in Sasuke’s head, and he opens his eyes, staring at the wall of the hut. And we waits.

“Whenever I passed the shop, he’d always glare at me or tell me to _keep moving, brat_. I was scared to death of him.” A harsh laugh leaves his throat. “And then, after I beat Pein, he-- he came up to me one day and asked me to sign a book for his kid. Didn’t even apologize or anything; he acted like nothing had ever happened. I ripped the book in half and told him to fuck off. Made his kid cry.”

Some semblance of control over his emotions restored, Sasuke works up the nerve to roll over, pillowing his head on his arm and watching as Naruto tells his story. He’s staring at the ceiling, arms tucked behind his head. He’s got this crooked smile on his face, but it’s twisted all the wrong ways, cold and bitter.

“That’s how it is with everyone. They all shake my hand and thank me and celebrate our victory, and nobody mentions anything. They never talk about all those years they treated me like dirt.”

Naruto sighs, deep and slow. The bitter look fades from his face.

“Iruka-sensei scolded me about that.” He laughs, laying a hand on his stomach. “Eventually I went back and apologized to the guy. I realized that... you know, getting _back_ at people was never the point of any of this. Y’know, the point of aiming for Hokage and working as hard as I do. I think... everybody is apologizing in their own way. Maybe that’s why I get so many gifts, haha.” Naruto turns his head, eyebrows raising. “So, I guess this is a really roundabout way of saying you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I get it-- sometimes things just... get stuck. No matter how hard you try and pry them off. You’re a good person; I think, deep down, you always have been, but you’re on the right track now, so... as long as you keep trying, I don’t care about all the stuff that happened before.”  

Sasuke’s chest aches, but it’s not with grief. It’s dark, but Naruto’s eyes shine dimly, burning blue and intense: it grabs Sasuke by the chin, pinning him there, _daring_ him to look away.

He wants...

He wants to kiss him.

He wants to kiss Naruto Uzumaki-- not on accident, because that’s not how it worked now. It's not like _any_ of this was on accident or a happy coincidence  He didn’t _fall_ in love-- he walked into it, purposefully knowing the every step he took, every choice he made, lead _here,_ to _him._ His chest aches because the thought of every second of his life that Naruto spent without someone to love him was a _travesty_ , because how could you look at those eyes and _not_ feel your universe realign itself?

Instead of kissing him though, Sasuke does the smart thing and rolls over so that his back is to him. It tempers the urge, but only just. His mind is quiet now, old fears and new anxieties put to rest, at least for the moment, by blue eyes and soft-spoken anecdotes.

“You’re so sappy,” he mutters. Naruto cackles, nudging Sasuke with his elbow.

“Well, you’re still here, so I must be doing something right,” he teases. But he shuffles around a bit, preparing to settle back down into sleep, and something lumps up in Sasuke’s throat. He raises his arm a few inches above his body, palm up.

“G... give me your hand,” he mutters, staring firmly at the wall.

“Huh?”

“Your _hand.”_

“Oh. Why?”

“Just do it, jackass.”

Naruto clicks his tongue, but rests his hand in Sasuke’s without further questioning. Sasuke grips his hand firmly and then pulls his arm around him like blanket, so that Naruto is wrapped around his waist, chest nearly pressed to Sasuke’s back. Naruto, predictably, makes an odd squawking noise, his body going taught as a wire. He’s frozen for a moment, and Sasuke’s heart is in overdrive.

Then Naruto chuckles and reels him in, cuddling up close and Sasuke swears he’s about to fucking _combust._

“Aw, who’s the sappy one _now?”_ He coos. “If you wanted to be the little spoon, all you had to do was ask.”

“Go die.”

Naruto snickers, but his thumb is rubbing circles on the exposed skin of Sasuke’s forearm and this time when he falls asleep, it’s dreamless.

* * *

**_12.31.XX_ **

Sasuke eyes the sky with a frown, readjusting the backpack over his shoulders; dark clouds are gathering over the teeth of the mountain, the wind whipping around him, burning his cheeks and making his eyes water.

“There’s gonna be a blizzard,” he calls.

“Heads up!”

Sasuke jerks his head around, just in time to catch a faceful of snow. He yelps as it drips down underneath his scarf, so cold it almost burns.

_“Naruto!”_

The jackass is laughing wildly, doubled over and holding his stomach. Sasuke growls, swiping up a handful of snow and using his thigh to press it into a vaguely spherical shape.

“Haha, oh my god! You should have seen your face, you-- _BWAH!”_

Sasuke smirks as Naruto curses, trying to bat snow out of his own scarf without much success-- his naturally high body temperature meant it melted easily and soaked into his clothing. Naruto points an accusing finger at him, clenching his fist.

“You’re going _down,_ Uchiha!” He declares. Then he turns and takes a running leap, diving behind a snow drift; half a second later, a dozen snowballs are launching over the top of it, all aimed with deadly precision. Left with no choice, Sasuke makes a break for the nearest tree, ducking behind it as a snowball sails over his head.

“I have _one arm,_ you ass!” He gripes.

“Aw, is the great Sasuke Uchiha admitting defeat?” Naruto taunts. He peeks over the drift to do so, and Sasuke pins a nicely aimed snowball to his forehead. Naruto curses, ducking back down.

“In your _dreams,_ Uzumaki!”

Snowballs fly back and forth for several minutes, some landing, some whizzing past harmlessly. But soon it gets monotonous, and Naruto gets smarter, making pot shots hard to score on. Sasuke’s eyes dart around, looking for some way to shake things up.

His eyes land on the mounds of snow on the branches of the tree over Naruto’s head. A devious smile spreads across his face-- _shake things up,_ oh ho--

... Even his _sense_ of humor was cheesy now; Naruto is a _terrible_ influence. Shaking his head to clear it, he pulls two kunai from his pouch and flings them at the top branches, making the top of the tree recoil angrily.

“Where are you even aiming? I’m down here, stupid!” Naruto jeers, sticking his tongue out. Sasuke steps out from behind cover _just_ enough so Naruto can see the Look on his face as he points to the uppermost branches. His eyes follows Sasuke’s fingers, and then he lets out a terrified squeal as snow tumbles down, knocking every branch along the way in a marvelous domino effect. He throws himself out from behind the snowdrift to save himself, but only barely makes it.

Naruto stumbles to his feet, but Sasuke takes advantage of his loss of balance and darts forward, tackling him and pinning him to the snow; his left knee pins down one arm, his hand pinning down the other. Naruto spits snow from his mouth with a cocky look, raising an eyebrow.

“What was this about helpless Sasuke only having one arm?” He teased. Sasuke smirked.

“Who says I only have one?”

That wipes the smile of Naruto’s face, and he whips his head to the right, staring in horror as Sasuke uses the hand he had pinned to make several quick seals before hopping back. Naruto immediately scrambles to his feet, trying to sprint through calf-high snow as fast as humanly possible.

“Dodge _this,”_ Sasuke drawls, stretching his palm out as an enormous dragon bursts from the snow, letting out a rumbling roar as it chases after Naruto. Inevitably, it engulfs him with a dying wail from its victim, the noise quickly smothered as he’s buried. It collapses back into a pile of snow as soon as it completes its purpose, and Sasuke slowly approaches the mound, chuckling to himself.

“Nine-to-seven, me,” he boasts. Naruto glares at him from where he’s buried in the snow. Only his eyes, nose, and left foot are sticking out of the snow, but just from that Sasuke can tell he is Definitely Not Happy. He says something, but it’s muffled by the snow.

“What?”

Naruto stretches his neck, shaking his head to clear his mouth.

“N-nine-to-eight.”

Sasuke’s spine goes stiff, and the sounds of crunching footsteps behind him make him whirl arou--

Too late. Much to his eternal mortification, Sasuke _shrieks_ as a shadow clone shoves a massive pile of snow down the back of his cloak, laughing all the while. As he squirms, hopping around and trying to shake it out as fast as possible, the clone waltzes over to where the real Naruto is buried and yanks him out, high-fiving him before dispelling in a plume of smoke.

“I hate you s- _so much,”_ Sasuke hisses, teeth chattering. His clothes are utterly soaked, and the wind has picked up, slicing through him like knives. Naruto doesn’t look much better, arms wrapped tightly around himself as he shivers.

“W-worth it,” he chatters cheekily.

Another harsh gust of wind nearly makes Sasuke lose his footing, and he’s suddenly and _unpleasantly_ reminded of the fact that they’re about to be caught in a fucking blizzard.

“We are going to d-die of hypothermia if we don’t f-find shelter soon,” Sasuke snaps irritably. What little color there was in Naruto’s face drains a little and he puffs his chest out.

“I beat the goddess of chakra,” he states. “There’s no way in _h-hell_ I’m dying to a little snow.” With that, he turns around and continues marching down the path that they had been on before their impromptu snow battle. Sasuke curses and follows after him, keeping an eye out for anything that can be used to give them at least a _little_ shelter. He doubts their tent is going to do much to dispel the wicked winds that are bound to pick up soon. Maybe an old bear den, or a fallen tree would work...?

By the time Naruto lets out a triumphant yell, the wind had begun blowing with true vigor, blinding Sasuke to little more than a few feet of vision with needle-like snow. Every extremity has gone entirely numb, and it’s getting hard to walk. Hard to focus.

“Look!”

Sasuke follows Naruto’s finger and has to blink to make sure he’s _actually_ seeing this. “This” being what appeared to be an old, abandoned building, nearly buried in snow already. It’s a miracle, and Sasuke didn’t realize he had stopped walking until Naruto’s arm is wrapping around his shoulders, pushing him forward.

The door lets out an unholy shriek as its forced open, and Sasuke all but collapses as he steps through. It wasn’t like the interior was much warmer, but it’s out of that damned wind, so it might as well have been a summer paradise.

“What is this place?” Naruto mumbles, his eyes wandering as he shakes snow from his hair and clothes. Sasuke mimics him, dropping his pack so he could peel off his cloak and shake it out. The cloak slips from his uncoordinated fingers, plopping to the floor and stirring up a swell of dirt. The building is long, but not that deep, a bar with several broken down stools running the length of it. That’s the only furniture in this place, presumably because they’re bolted to the floor-- the rest of the place is just creaky, wooden floors, cracked windows, a _lot_ of dust and-- thank god, a _fireplace._

“It’s p-probably a way station,” Sasuke stutters. “Like a road stop for travellers. This m-must have been a major road at one p-point.”

Naruto makes some vague noise of acknowledgement and makes a beeline for the fireplace at the other end of the room. He crows with delight.

“Aw fuck yeah, there’s wood here!” Sasuke shuffles over, teeth chattering so much he’s afraid they’ll crack, and watches as Naruto piles a few logs in the fireplace. He’s patting his pockets for matches when Sasuke gets impatient.

“H-hand,” he snaps, dropping to his knees. Naruto doesn’t even question it at this point, letting Sasuke grab him and make the signs necessary for a small fireball jutsu. His fingers are _so_ cold and _so_ numb and even the few extra seconds it takes frustrates him, but he _finally_ manages, setting the wood ablaze with one decently sized fireball.

“Yes! We did it! Take _that,_ you fucking blizzard-- woah, Sasuke, are you alright? Your lips are _blue.”_

That’s not surprising. Sasuke shakes his head, sitting down more comfortably and holding his frozen hands over the fire; the digits are a furious red and tingle something awful as they’re exposed to the warmth.

“I’ll be fine,” he mutters.

“Well, we still need to get out of our wet clothes. I’ll see if I can find some extra blankets or something,” he says.

“Hm.”

Naruto stands up and proceeds to explore the way station; Sasuke pays him little mind, focusing on making sure he doesn’t lose any _more_ limbs. He unlaces his boots and yanks them off, peeling off soaking wet socks. His toes look like prunes, but they've fared a little better than his hands. Something bangs and Sasuke glances over, watching as Naruto’s hair, damp but no less spikey, shuffles around behind the bar.

“Hey, there’s booze back here!”

“Naruto, blankets.”

“Right! Right, sorry.”

He pushes through a dilapidated swinging door behind the counter. There’s more shuffling, more knocking around, and then Naruto lets out a whoop of triumph.

“Found some! And futons too, it’s _hell_ yeah!”

Naruto comes back into the room, his arms loaded with dusty blankets and one large futon.

“Wait, don’t drop--!”

Naruto drops them, and dust explodes from every inch of surface area, sending both boys into a coughing fit. A few moth corpses tumble out from the pile as well and Sasuke glares up at Naruto, letting his irritated silence speak for him. Naruto laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

“I... probably should have beaten them out, huh?” He says.

“Oh, you _think?”_

Naruto picks up the blankets and crosses to the other end of the room to shake the dust and dirt out of them. The futon wasn’t actually in bad shape, so Naruto rolled it out in front of the fire and threw the cleanest blanket over it. Satisfied, Sasuke heaves himself reluctantly to his feet and begins peeling off his soaking clothes, tossing them in Naruto’s direction.

“H-hang those up for me,” he said. “And get some dry clothes from my b-bag.”

“Uhhh.. sure,” he says, soundly strangely choked up. He tosses the wet clothes over his shoulder and shuffles over to Sasuke bag, digging around and pulling out a clean pair of boxers and pants. Before he turns around again, Sasuke picks up one of the blankets and wraps it around himself. Naruto’s standing there, a stupid look on his face, still holding his clothes. Sasuke holds out his hand.

“Hurry up.”

Naruto hands him the clothes and then immediately turns his back. Sasuke smirks and switches his clothes quickly before sitting back down on the futon, bundled up so that only his head sticks out of the blanket.

“You can turn around now.”

“R-Right!”

Sasuke allows himself a small, sly smile. Naruto can’t hold his composure in the best of times, and trapped in an old way station in the middle of a blizzard cannot be counted as “the best of times.” Naruto, the most functional of the pair thanks to his handy little demon, shuffles about, pulling wire from his ninja tools to string up and hang the clothes from so they dry faster. He ducks into a different room to change, hangs his wet clothes up, and plops down on the futon next to him.

“C’mon, don’t be a blanket hog,” he gripes, tugging at the blanket until Sasuke relents, allowing him to pull it around his own shoulders until they're both wrapped up within it, sitting flush together. Sasuke cringes, tucking his legs further under himself.

“Your hands are _freezing,”_ he complains.

Naruto gets the _Glint_ in his eye.

“No. No! Naruto, I swear to god--!”

Naruto pounces on him, his icy hands planting themselves on his bare stomach with a gleeful cackle. Sasuke makes a sharp, disgusted noise, shoving his hand in Naruto’s face, trying desperately to shove him off. But the fact of the matter is, he has one arm and Naruto is about twenty pounds heavier than him. And he isn’t really trying that hard in the first place, either.

“You’re the _worst!”_ Sasuke doesn’t _whine_ per se, but it definitely comes close. Like a particularly annoying cat, Naruto does as he pleases, settling down literally _on top_ of Sasuke, arms wrapped around him so that his cold hands are pinned between Sasuke’s back and the futon. Sasuke resigns himself, letting his head drop back on the futon, because this is apparently his life now-- as Naruto Uzumaki’s personal space heater. Naruto hums happily, squashing his cheek on Sasuke’s chest.

“Quit complaining, you’re always cold,” Naruto says, grinning. “I’m doing you a favor.” Sasuke blows a chunk of hair from his forehead, irritating in its untamed length.

“Yeah, but I’m not constantly bitching about it,” he replies.

“I am not constantly bitching!”

“Look, you’re bitching right now.”

“I’m not--!” Naruto spots the cheeky smile on Sasuke’s face and the indignant swell of air in his chest leaves him in a rush. “You’re fucking with me.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You’re a dick.”

“You knew that from the start, idiot.”

A low chuckle passes over them, petering out in a comfortable silence. Only the soft crackling of the fire and the shrill howling of the wind outside breaks it. The remaining light still trickling into the room is fading fast, leaving the room in a seeping darkness only held back with the light of the fire. There’s still an oppressive chill, but it’s irrelevant when the worlds hottest human is laying on your chest, wrapped in a blanket.

Sasuke backtracks, considers his wording, and then quickly discards the thought.

Best not to think about that when Said Human is literally lying between his legs, in nothing but a pair of orange spotted boxers.

The fire pops loudly, drawing Sasuke’s attention, and he nudges Naruto, who’s already beginning to fall asleep. Idiot.

“The fire needs more wood,” he says, prodding Naruto’s cheek. He grumbles, lifting his head to rest his chin on Sasuke’s sternum.

“Why can’t you do it?”

“You’re still lying on top of me?”

“Hmm, I’m comfy though.”

“Then make a clone?”

“Ehhhh... my hands are finally warm, I don’t want to make a seal.”

Sasuke groans, thunking his head back on the futon, sighing heavily. They were going to get _nothing_ done at this point. He lifts his head again, blinking when he registered that Naruto was still looking at him. Firelight licks over his face and his eyes are heavy lidded, the soft smile on his lips making them crinkle around the corner.

All at once, Sasuke is struck by that god forsaken urge to kiss him again. It had been hitting him intermittently for the past several weeks, and it was starting to get real fucking annoying.

Whenever Naruto came back from a shower, grinning and shaking himself off like a dog, there it was. When he picked at Sasuke’s leftovers, saying _“you're the best, yeah"_ with that _look,_ there it was. When he laughed himself to tears, there it was.

When those splashes of sunlight through the leaves hit his face, _there it fucking was._ It was driving him absolutely insane. It’s not like it wasn’t a simple problem, easily solved-- Sasuke knew that Naruto had at least _some_ feelings for him.

No, Sasuke Uchiha is just a huge coward.

“Go put wood on the damned fire.”

And it seemed like it would continue like that for awhile.

“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto grumbles dramatically, heaving himself off Sasuke and padding over to the pile of wood. It’s a decent size, but it won’t last them more than a day at this rate, especially considering that it’s old and dry and burns easily. Naruto turns around, but instead of returning to the futon, he goes over to his bag and starts digging through it.

“I’m gonna go get some snow to melt down,” he says. “Where’d you put the pot?”

“On the left side,” Sasuke replies. Naruto digs a little more, and then whips it out with a little “ah ha!” He brandishes it above his head, only to yelp when something falls out of it, hitting his shoulder and dropping to the ground. Naruto puts down the pot and picks it up.

“Oh hey, my ramen notebook!”

Sasuke rolls his eyes and stretches out on the futon, being careful to keep all his limbs covered and the blanket tucked tight around him-- he was finally warm, and like hell he was letting some _yuki-onna_ crawl in bed with him. Naruto is flicking through the notebook, no doubt getting himself distracted again. He pauses, and then begins whispering to himself.

“How long has it been since we’ve left the last village? The one with the _really_ spicy reindeer ramen?” He asks out of nowhere. Sasuke thinks.

“About four days. Why?”

Naruto grins, flipping open the notebook and pointing at the date written at the top. _12.27.XX_.

“Happy New Year’s Eve.”

Sasuke blinks.

“Wow.” Naruto springs up, picking up the pot and crossing to door. He yanks it open, letting a gust frigid wind in as he scoops up a pot of snow, before slamming it closed. He turns back to Sasuke, his face hollow, as if he had seen the eyes of Hell itself instead of facing a bit of cold.

“I should have put clothes on before doing that.”

“You should have.”

Naruto makes a miserable whining noise as he shuffles over to the fire, sitting down in front of it and hooking the pot on the rusty hanger inside the fireplace. He shivers and then returns to the backpack, pulling out a pair of pants and a hoodie to protect him from the chill in the room while he does... something.

“Where are you going?” He asks, watching as Naruto crosses the room, hopping over the long counter and rummaging in the shelves beneath it.

“It’s New Year’s Eve! We gotta have _something_ to celebrate with!” He says, as if that explains anything. There’s the clinking of bottles, and Sasuke lifts his head, trying to see where exactly Naruto’s searching.

“How much booze is _back_ there?”

“Eh, not a lot. Most of the bottles are broken or empty. Oh, hold on... is this...?” Naruto gasps as if he’s found a hidden gold stash. “JACKPOT!” He lifts a dusty bottle, about three-quarter’s worth of golden liquid sloshing around inside. The label is too worn to see at this distance, but it must be something good, if Naruto’s rampant enthusiasm is anything to go by.

“What?”

“It’s spiced rum! I can’t believe this has just been _sitting here._ Sasuke, lemme use your little ingredients box!”

“Tch... just don’t waste anything.”

Sasuke settles back down, rolling onto his stomach, head on his arm, with his face to the fire to watch whatever it is Naruto’s doing. He drags Sasuke’s pack over and pulls out a woven wicker container, held closed by a tangle of thread. An older kunoichi had gifted it to them a few weeks ago, after they had saved her from a couple of bandits. It was full of simple ingredients, like sugar, herbs, and butter, and it had made the long stretches between villages more bearable; plain bird and rabbits got very tiring _very_ quick.

Naruto pulls out a couple of small tins from within it and sets to work. He sets two metal mugs down in front of him, checks the melting snow, pours careful amounts of sugar into both cups. He puts some butter in an empty tin and shoves it into the coals to let it melt, and goes digging through the wicker box again. His movements are methodical, and the way he measures things out speaks of an abundance of experience in making this. But his back is to Sasuke, and the finer details are lost on him; he could be pouring cinnamon or arsenic in his drink for all he knows. He’s absorbed in his task, and Sasuke debates disturbing his focus. In the end, his curiosity wins out.

“What are you making?”

Naruto doesn’t answer him. He tries again.

“Naruto.”

“Hm? What?”

“I said, what are you making?”

“Oh! Pervy Sage called it buttered rum. We spent a couple months way up north for cold endurance training and he taught me how to make it. And then, you know, made _me_ make it whenever he wanted some. He used to say hot cocoa is just buttered rum for pussies.” He laughs a little, shaking his head. “Sometimes you forget he’s like a thousand years old until he says some weird shit like that.”

“Pervy Sage?”

“Oh, uhh... Jiraiya. Y’know, one of the sannin.”

Sasuke hums in acknowledgment, but doesn’t say much further. He’d heard of Jiraiya through word of mouth, from tales whispered of old war heroes in dingy bars. The Legendary Sannin, an unbeatable trio, nearly gods in their own right, yada yada. Predictably, Orochimaru had never breathed a word about any of his old teammates-- though it wasn’t like Sasuke had been in the habit of striking up a chat with the man. He preferred to keep any and all contact quite limited, to be honest.

“What was he like? Jiraiya, I mean,” Sasuke murmurs. Naruto checks the water again-- all the snow has melted and it's starting to heat up. He chuckles a little, bobbing his head in a vague motion.

“Well, there's a reason I call him Pervy Sage. Always peepin’ on women, calling it research for his stupid erotica novels. Y’know, he was really good at poetry? You wouldn't think it, when he deadass writes things like _throbbing love sword.”_

Sasuke makes a disgusted face, with a noise to match that makes Naruto snort.

“He almost never wrote it. Poetry, I mean. Said it didn't sell, but I liked reading it. He was a stiff old bastard sometimes, but... he knew what he was doing, taking me on. He was a good teacher. A good guy... most of the time.” Naruto laughs, but it sounds hoarse. He keeps his back turned to Sasuke, but he doesn't miss Naruto’s arm coming up to wipe at his face.

“... I miss him sometimes. I wish he could have seen how far I've come.”

Sasuke lowers his eyes, watching the flames flicker and writhe.

“I'm sure he'd be proud.”

Silence rushes to fill the space, and Sasuke closes his weary eyes as he waits for Naruto to finish his task. They’d been hiking at an incline nearly all day, not to mention through thick snow. His body ached, but he forced himself to stay awake-- Naruto had gone to the effort of making something, so he might as well try it.

The water had finally hit a boil, so Naruto pulls off his hoodie, wraps it around his hand and reaches in to pull the pot off the hook. He carefully pours it into both mugs with the cinnamon and sugar, then the rum, and then the melted butter. He drops in some dried cloves, stirs it, and presents the mugs with proud little, “ta-da!”

Sasuke sits up, pulls the blanket around his shoulders, and takes the mug. It smells good, sweet and spiced, a bit of foam on the top. He sips it carefully and good fuck it tastes even _better--_ if he didn't know any better, he wouldn't have thought there was any alcohol at all in it _._

“Woah... this is actually delicious.”

“Told you.”

“Shut up, it's not like you have the most stellar culinary track record.”

“I thought you'd have a little _faith_ in me, dickhead.” But Naruto laughs, dispelling any insult there might have been in the words and continues sipping in earnest. He scoots closer, slotting their legs together so they sit at an angle to each other, like an X. The rum warms Sasuke inside and out, and he feels like this is something he could live with for the rest of his life-- Naruto, that is, but rum like this wouldn’t be turned down either. He wouldn't mind becoming a hermit, living in the middle of nowhere in some moss covered cabin, as long as Naruto came with him.

No distrustful stares, no bills, no responsibilities, no crises that had to be solved by Him and Naruto Alone. No _consequences_. Just lazy mornings and hunting deer and laying together by the fireplace at night.

... God, now _he_ was becoming the sappy one. Thank fuck he hadn't said any of that out loud.

“It's too bad we don't have a working clock-- we can't count down to the new year,” Naruto muses, setting down his empty mug. Sasuke blinks, extracting himself from his thoughts.

“We could just pretend,” he says. His words are probably slurred-- the alcohol isn't helping the day’s exhaustion at all, and he's _so_ sleepy. He glances up to meet Naruto’s eyes, tilting his head. “Do our own countdown, hm? Time isn't real, anyways.” A startled laugh bubbles up from Naruto’s lips.

“Oookay, I think you've had enough to drink, Lightweight,” he says. Sasuke frowns as Naruto begins to reach for his mug.

“Oi, fuck off,” he drones, and just to be petty, he tips it up and drinks the rest in one go, nearly swallowing a soggy clove in the process. He's barely even _tipsy--_ there’s more sugar than anything in this drink. Naruto needs to stay in his damned lane. The man in question laughs a little, taking the mug as Sasuke offers it to him with triumphant smirk.

“That’s not a bad idea, though. The countdown thing-- it’s not like anybody would care,” Naruto says, shrugging. Sasuke eyes him contemplatively, tapping his fingers to his thumb one after the other, back and forth.

“Alright.”

Sasuke turns his head and makes a loose fist, pressing his thumbs to his lips-- you couldn’t have a countdown without watching something fall, no? He summons up a bubble of chakra and blows through his fist, and a spray of sparks burst into the air. He didn’t need seals for this: it was a more of a party trick, not a jutsu, and made in a spur of boredom. It looks pretty though, fading into beads of soft light as they slowly fall to earth.

From the look on his face, Naruto seems to agree.

“Ten,” Sasuke prompts, nudging him. “Nine.”

“Eight,” Naruto joins in, his face lighting up in a grin. “Seven... six...”

He turns his head back, and Sasuke can see the pinprick light of the sparks in his eyes, like stars; the kind of stars you followed to the ends of the earth, that lead you exactly where you needed to be. Sasuke feels his chest swell, like a balloon in a too-small container, pressing at the edges and full of words he desperately wants to say.

“Five,” he says instead. “Four.”

“Three...”

Naruto isn’t looking Sasuke in the eye anymore; his gaze flicks downwards for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough. The balloon crushes against the walls of his chest and Sasuke is _tired._

“Two.”

He’s not sure which one of them says it. He doesn’t care. He just doesn’t fucking care, because there’s a pressure in his chest that’s going to kill him if he doesn’t find an outlet and he’s _tired._ Tired of dancing, tired of fighting, tired of struggling against gravity, against nature. In the grand scheme of things, the little stuff doesn’t matter. Together, Naruto and Sasuke fought God and _won,_ so this? This should be _easy._ It shouldn't feel like he’s hovering above lava again, shouldn’t feel like being trapped in some wasteland dimension.

The last spark falls, but they don’t say “one.”

Naruto’s lips are hot and chapped from the cold, but Sasuke’s doesn’t get further than an almost chaste pressure, because his brain catches up to his body and he pulls back, his heart hammering so hard he’s _sure_ the other boy can hear it.

But if he does, he shows no sign of it. His ocean eyes and blown wide, his jaw slack with surprise.

“H... Happy New Year,” Sasuke stammers, mortified. _Curse his mouth._

Naruto blinks once, twice, and then his face splits into a brilliant smile, like the parting of the clouds from the sun.

“That was _so much better_ than the first time,” he says stupidly. Sasuke’s shoulders draw up and he whallops Naruto solidly in the chest, even as the balloon in his chest pops in a great explosion of confetti.

“You’re _insufferable!”_ He bursts. Naruto throws his head back, a peel of delighted laughter filling the room. Sasuke opens his mouth to stammer something else, probably equally as stupid, when his cheeks are grabbed between two rough palms and he’s pulled back into another searing kiss.

“You’re so... _fucking_ slow... you damned bastard,” Naruto is mumbling between kisses, his grin palpable against his mouth, and Sasuke can barely keep up, let alone speak. Naruto had taken his first kiss _and_ his second, a one-in-a-million accident when they were younger and dumber, and now he lets him take the third, the fourth, the fifteenth, wholeheartedly. He feels like he's being lit up from the inside, bursts of warmth that make his heart soar like a comet with every soft slide of his lips.

They’re both bad at this, too busy fighting and saving the world to have time for flings. Noses smush a little, hands try and fail to find the right places to hold, teeth clicking when Naruto gets _too_ enthusiastic. But somehow, it works, just like it’s always worked. Sasuke doesn’t know _how_ exactly it does, but deep down he’s grateful, because he can’t imagine doing this with anybody but the guy that’s been chasing him since they were kids. And while they both suck at kissing, they’re not known as prodigies for nothing.

Sasuke brings up his hand, sliding his fingers through soft, yellow hair, brushing over the nape of his neck. Naruto shivers, a small noise bubbling up from his throat as he flattens Sasuke against the futon. He tastes like sugar and sunshine, and Sasuke _melts_ into it, cursing his missing arm for the first time since losing it because there’s too much of Naruto he wants to hold and one hand isn’t fucking cutting it.

Naruto breaks the kiss, and Sasuke would have have smacked him except now there’s kisses trailing over his jaw and down his neck, so he supposes he’ll allow it. Hot breath gusts over his skin, and he shudders, goosebumps rising.

“Y’know, I really thought you were losing interest in me for awhile,” Naruto murmurs as he mouths over his carotid. “You drove me half insane, you idiot.” Sasuke’s eyes flutter open and he stares at the ceiling, feeling his skin flush scorching hot.

“I... I didn’t want to make you unco-- _oh..._ u-uncomfortable,” he stutters. Naruto sits up, both hands propped on either side of his head.

“Seriously?! I’ve wanted to kiss you stupid since I was like. Fourteen.”

_“What.”_

“Deadass.”

“Even when I was trying to kill you?”

Naruto grins sheepishly, shrugging a little.

“You were just a tough nut to crack.”

Sasuke covers his face, groaning incredulously.

“So basically we’ve been dancing around each other all this time for no reason.”

“... Sounds about right.”

Sasuke drops his hand, pursing his lips at the ceiling.

“I owe Sakura money.”

A surprised bark of laughter startles from Naruto’s lips and he shifts his weight so that he can cover his mouth, his eyes crinkling shut.

“God, we’re such a fucking mess without her,” he snorts. Sasuke doesn’t respond verbally, but he knows deep in his heart that Sakura was the only one in Team 7 who could even begin to claim she had her life together. The fact that she had stayed behind, spearheading the reformation of a post-war world while Sasuke and Naruto ran off to eat foreign ramen and makeout said a _lot_ about them.

Impatient with the lack of Kissing that was going on, Sasuke knocks Naruto’s one arm out from under him, hooks his leg over his hip, and neatly flips Naruto onto his back on the futon. Sasuke was straddled neatly over his hips and he smirked arrogantly as Naruto just blinked in bewilderment.

“Listen, I’ve been bottling up the urge to fuck you stupid for months now, so if you’re going to keep chatting I’m gonna have to find a way to shut you up,” he says plainly. Almost predictably, Naruto’s eyes light up with unabashed arousal and he bites his lip.

“Ooh, me likey,” he says. Sasuke’s eyelids drop, deeply unamused.

“Never say that again.”

“Yes, tell me what to do d--”

Sasuke slaps his hand over Naruto’s mouth with a disgusted noise, which only prompts the man below him to howl with laughter. Sasuke sighs, shoulders slumping in resignation.

_I can’t believe I signed up for this._

* * *

  **_1.1.XX_ **

The blizzard is still raging in earnest outside.

Naruto snores softly from his position nearly suckered to Sasuke’s side, not unlike an octopus in the way he’s clinging to him. It’s not getting in the way of Sasuke’s writing though, and Naruto is currently his only source of heat, since the fire had died out overnight.

Sakura’s most recent letter sits off to the side, and Sasuke stares contemplatively at the stretch of mostly-blank scroll paper before him. He’s sprawled on his stomach, two pillows shoved under his chest to support him. It feels almost juvenile like this-- more like a ditzy girl from a trashy romcom pouring her heart into a confession than writing to his teammate. At least he’s not kicking his feet in the air.

Composing his responses has gotten easier the more he’s written to her, but that’s not to say he’s gotten any faster at it. He still carefully considers each character he writes on the paper, writing slowly to avoid mistakes. Word choice was also carefully considered, after a particularly rude comment from Sasuke resulted in Sakura sending her next letter with a small seal on it that spat foul-smelling oil at him as soon as he unrolled it. It had taken _days_ for the smell to leave his skin.

Sasuke shudders at the memory and shakes his head, focusing on the most recent letter instead. He glances over at her letter, the words running through his head; he can practically hear her voice, feel the twisting of his earlobe as she scolds him.

_It’s called phantom limb pain-- it happens to almost all amputees, and unfortunately there’s not much you can do but wait it out. I’ve sent you some pain pills anyway, just in case they might work. Only take one a day and TAKE IT WITH FOOD!!_

_This will probably get to you early, but happy new year. I hope you do something nice for yourself._

Sasuke grunts amusedly to himself. Yeah, one could say he did something nice for himself. And Naruto.

Hm. Anyways.

_Things are still quiet here; nobody wants to fuck with Konoha with copy cat Kakashi at the helm... though I suppose he can’t be called that anymore. Speaking of which, Kakashi FINALLY managed to get that age minimum put on the ninja ranking systems, so now you have to be 15 to be a jonin. It’s still younger than I’d like, but it’s something, at least. We’ve been talking about his early days as a ninja and you wouldn’t IMAGINE the kind of bullshit they put him through. It’s fucking ridiculous!_

_You can bet your ass I’m going after ANBU’s mental health evaluations next-- CHA!_

_On a completely unrelated note, I’ve heard that people are beginning to call me Doctor Earthquake behind my back. I can’t imagine why though........ :3_

_Be smart, stay safe, DON’T LET NARUTO EAT THAT FUCKING HORSE RAMEN AGAIN!_

_-Sakura_

_P.S. That thing you suggested worked and I hate that the gayest man I know helped me get a girlfriend. Fuck you. Ino says hi._

Sasuke chews on the end of his pen thoughtfully, before the right words come and he puts the nib to the paper.

_Thanks for the medicine, it does help somewhat. The pain isn't debilitating, but it isn't pleasant either. It’s strangely comforting to know that I’m not actually crazy._

_I'm glad to hear about the age restriction; there's no point to having kids that young on the field when there isn't a war going on. Thank you for working so hard to push it through._

_Speaking of reforms--_

Sasuke pauses, staring thoughtfully down at Naruto’s sleeping face. It's squashed into his ribcage, mostly hidden, his arms over Sasuke’s back, but he looks peaceful. Sasuke thinks of the stories he's been told about Naruto’s childhood: horror stories that he tells with a blase attitude unbefitting of the content. Stories of broken bones, drunken attacks against him, of hurtful words and near death experiences caused by nothing but _negligence._ To Naruto, they'd been a simple fact in his life, but something curdles in his gut when he thinks of the ignorance that allowed a whole village to gang up on a _kid._

He keeps writing.

 _Speaking of reforms, do you think you could put out... educational material about jinchuuriki? Naruto’s been telling me more about when he was a kid, and I don't want any of that_ _ever_ _happening again. It's absolutely barbaric and unbefitting of Konoha._

 _I think Doctor Earthquake is fitting. After all, you_ _have_ _been shaking things up._

Sake grimaces, resisting the urge to scratch out the entire paragraph.

_I came up with that one all on my own and I hate it. If I started compulsively eating ramen and saying “dattebayo" I give you explicit permission to euthanize me._

_Yours sincerely,_

_-Sasuke_

_P.S. After being on the receiving end of her flirting for way too long, I know the signs. Congrats on the girlfriend. Tell Ino I said hi back._

_P.P.S. You were right about us dancing. But we’re not doing that anymore, so remind me to treat you to lunch when I come back._

He looks over the letter, blowing gently on it to make sure the ink was dry. He rolled up the small scroll and tucked it away in his pouch, along with the other letter Sakura had sent and his pen. He'd send it when this god forsaken blizzard died down and he could send a messenger hawk out.

Sasuke settles back down, turning his back so that he's cocooned by Naruto’s sleepy clinging; almost reflexively, his arms shift to accommodate him, and Sasuke allows himself a small smile. He can't tell the time-- the blizzard makes it impossible to see more than a few inches outside, but a gray light filters into the room so it must still be early. It would be fine to sleep a little longer.

A sleepy pair of lips press against his shoulder, then his spine.

“G’mornin,” Naruto mumbles.

“Go back to sleep. It's still early,” Sasuke breathes, stifling a yawn. “It's not like we have to be anywhere.”

“Mm, you don't gotta tell me twice.”

Sasuke huffs softly, settling into a doze.

_Scritch scritch scritch._

Sasuke’s ear twitches, but he dismisses the sound. Probably a branch blown off by the blizzard.

_Scritch scriiitch_

... It's starting to get _really_ annoying, and Naruto’s noticed by now.

“The hell is that noise?”

“Probably a branch. Ignore it.”

_Screeeeeeeeeeeee!_

“That's a really loud branch.”

“If you don't like it, go check it out.”

“But it's coooooold...”

“Go see what it is and I'll start a fire.”

“Ugh, fine. You're so bossy-- _ow!”_

Naruto beats it quickly out of bed to avoid more pinching fingers, stretching and then shivering as the freezing air wraps around him. It's cold enough that his breath fogs as it leaves him, and he hurries over to the window, pressing his cheek to it to try and see what's scratching at the door.

“Mm... I can't really see anything. Too snowy. Good _god_ there's like three feet of snow out there. I am _not_ looking forward to trudging through that.”

The scratching hasn't stopped and eventually Naruto rubs the back of his head and turns around.

“It's probably nothing, maybe it'll--"

_“MROOWWWW.”_

Both boys stop dead. Sasuke speaks first.

“Is that a fucking _cat?”_

Naruto turns back to the door bewildered. The scratching has gotten more insistent, in a way that randomly knocked off branches _don't._ Naruto puts his weight against the door, sucks in a breath and yanks it open a crack. Almost immediately, something dark and furry streaks into the room, leaping frantically over the counter and crashing to the floor, the sound of smashing bottles accompanying it. Naruto slams the door shut and looks at Sasuke.

Neither of them have a god damned clue.

“What the hell?”

There's a low, irritated meow from behind the counter, and Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief.

Great. Now they had a cat to deal with.

He was too cold for this shit.

“Try not to spook it,” is all he tells Naruto before scooching over to the log pile and tossing a couple chunks of wood into the fireplace. He sweeps some pieces of bark to use for kindling from the floor and blows sparks into them, much like the trick from the night before. The wood catches easily, and Sasuke sighs in relief as warmth begins to penetrate the cold. He turns around when he's finished, only to see Naruto on his hands and knees, making kissy noises at the end of the counter. He can't see the cat, but Naruto’s eyes are fixed on it.

“What are you doing?” He asks flatly.

“I think he's hurt, there's icicles sticking to his fur. C’mere big guy, I'm not gonna hurt you,” he coos. “Sasuke, toss me some of the dried fish from my bag.”

“We don't know how long we're gonna be stuck here, Naruto, we can't waste our food on a _cat.”_

“Aw, c’mon Sasuke, _please?_ If it comes down to it, I can go hunt for something. I didn't check the backroom either, there could be food there too.”

“If there _was_ any food, it’s probably long since rotten by now. Also? It's _blizzarding,_ you're not going to find anything!”

Naruto turns and gives him the Puppy Eyes, clasping his hands together pleadingly.

 _“Pleeeeease?_ Just a little bit of fish?”

Sasuke feels his resolve crumble and he makes an irritated noise in the back of his throat as he turns and drags Naruto’s bag closer.

“If we end up running out of food, _you're_ gonna be the one going hungry, not me,” he mutters. Naruto cheers, eagerly snatching the dried fish that Sasuke hands him.

“C’mere kitty! I got some fish for you, yummy yummy!”

Sasuke rolls his eyes and turns, reaching up and pulling his clothes down from the wire. So much for getting an extra few hours of sleep.

By the time Sasuke pulls his shirt on over the mesh armor, Naruto has managed to coax the cat over to him, finally coming out from behind the counter so Sasuke could see him.

That was a _big cat._

He was more in the range of a medium sized _dog_ than a cat, with big paws and long, thick fur that was caked with snow. Naruto had been right about the “hurt” thing though-- he was favoring his hind leg, which looked like it had been a for a mountain lion’s favorite plaything.

“Naruto, that's a _coon cat,”_ Sasuke hisses. “Those things are _barely_ even domesticated.” Naruto doesn’t even glance over at him.

“Aw, he seems plenty domesticated to me,” he gushes. The cat had snapped up the fish and was now kneading into the palm of his hand, thunderous purrs radiating him like a damned vibrator.

The cat then crawls into his lap and Naruto sucks in a breath.

 _“Cold!”_ He whisper-shrieks. “So cold, _so cold!”_ Snow fell from the cat’s fur, directly onto his bare thighs because he had, once again, forgotten to get dressed before opening the damned door. Sasuke sits back, watching him with a smug smirk.

“You asked for this.”

Naruto sobs dramatically, but he's still scratching the cat behind the ears. What a pushover.

The cat is bizarrely docile when Naruto scoops him up like a baby and scuttles back to the fire, sitting close so that the flames can melt the rest of the snow from his fur. Now that he's in the light, Sasuke can see him in more detail and it's not too pretty.

Aside from the deepest wound on his hind leg, several more superficial scratches litter his shoulders and back, not to mention older scars here and there. His ear is torn, and when he stretches, one of the claws on his left paw is missing, gnarled with scar tissue. Naruto pets his head, fawning over the cat like a baby.

“You're a little warrior, aren't you?” He hums. His elbow accidentally brushes over his hind leg, and the cat hisses, twitching away. But he doesn't do much more than that, falling limp again. Sasuke frowns, concern beginning to creep into his chest.

“Naruto, I think he's bleeding out,” he says carefully. Naruto blinks and looks at his hind leg, touching the matted fur around it and frowning when it comes away red with blood. He purses his lips, concern clouding his eyes.

“I think you're right. Can you heat up some water and get the med kit?”

Sasuke doesn't complain as he does what he's asked, scooping a pot of snow from outside and setting it over the fire. He pulls a pouch with their measly medical supplies from his bag and hands it to Naruto and he sets to work.

Neither of them could even remotely be called doctors, but Naruto’s been patching up his own wounds for years now, so he at least has an idea of what he's doing.

He boils the suture needle, wiping it on a clean rag and readjusting the cat now sprawled unconsciously in his lap. He uses a kunai to roughly trim the fur around the biggest gash and goes to work. Sasuke watches contemplatively, head tilting. That is an _exceptionally_ fat cat for the fact that it's the dead of winter and hunting should be sparse.

“Sorry, big guy,” he whispers.

“Girl,” Sasuke interrupts. Naruto lifts his gaze to him, one brow rising in confusion.

“Eh?”

“That’s a female cat, not a male.”

“ _Eh?_ How can you tell?”

Sasuke leans forward, pushing aside the fur on the cat’s belly, confirming his suspicions.

“Because she’s pregnant,” he says, sitting back. Naruto’s jaw drops, and he turns to stare back at the cat, as if gold lies within her instead of a litter of kittens.

“That’s so cool!” He breathes. Sasuke nudges him insistently.

“Well she can't have kitten if she’s dead. Hurry and patch her up.”

“Shit, right,” Naruto blurted. He shakes his head before leaning down and beginning to stitch.

Whether too tired or too tough, the cat makes the job extremely easy, only rumbling in annoyance every once in awhile. Naruto finishes quickly and wraps the leg up in bandages, gently lifting the cat from his lap and laying her down on the floor in front of the fire. Sasuke offers Naruto a wet rag, and he's confused until he sees the cat blood smeared on his thigh.

“Haha, oops.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, staring wistfully out the window. It seems like the blizzard is beginning to let up, but it's still too harsh to even think about going outside.

So now he was stuck in a way station with the love of his life... and an injured, pregnant cat.

Great.

The fire crackles quietly, and Naruto eventually stands up to get dressed. He zips up his orange jacket, picking at threads that have started to come loose from the wear and tear of their travels. No matter how much Sasuke’s nags him every time they enter a town of any decent name, he’s insistent on keeping the ratty old thing. Sasuke sighs and watches the cat’s chest, being careful to make sure she's still breathing.

“Itachi loved cats,” he murmurs quietly. Naruto pauses, then sits down next to him wordlessly. Sasuke reaches out, hesitating for a heartbeat before gently scratching behind her ears, running his hand over her torso. Naruto watches him, waiting. “He always wanted one, but my father was allergic. So he settled for feeding the strays that wandered by.”

Sasuke’s chest swells with that bittersweet ache that always accompanies memories of Itachi.

“There was one cat that always came around. I named him Twitch, because he had a brain disorder that gave him fits sometimes. He was sweet though-- never scratched me, not once. He was the only cat that stuck around after everything.”

Naruto rests his hand on his shoulder, questioning silently, offering an out if he wanted it. But Sasuke didn't, and allows himself to be drawn in, pulled close so that his back is leaning against Naruto’s chest, his head turned slightly so that his forehead rests on the side of Naruto’s neck.  It's loose, but comforting; Naruto doesn't ask questions or offer sympathy, because Sasuke knows that on a fundamental level, he _understands._ There was no cure for the kind of hurts they had. No bad guy to punch, no magic salve that would make things better. They could only sit and talk and wait for the stones in their heart to dissolve over time.

The cat pushes herself slowly to her feet, exhaustion in every drooping shoulder blade. She looks at her bandaged back leg and then at Sasuke and Naruto. She meows, and then proceeds to nose her way onto Sasuke’s lap, settling back down for another nap. He smiles to himself, petting her gently until a rolling purr starts up.

They'll be okay, Sasuke decides.

They've gotten pretty damned good at waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh references:
> 
> \- The village Naruto and Sasuke are in at the beginning is definitely Cajun inspired, since I've been stuck in a southern hellfire for 6 years now and I've unfortunately grown fond of it. If you want a visual of them dancing, [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pjfeOj9HE)
> 
> -The "walked into love with Naruto" is inspired by a wonderful quote from The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White, which is a shame because the book itself is basic trash. 
> 
> \- I ~~project onto~~ headcanon Naruto as ADHD, and I'm definitely trying to allude to that. Since Konoha mental health practices are shit and apparently they can't even recognize obvious PTSD ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> \- Pregnant mama cat is a big ol' Maine Coon 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading and leaving kudos and comments. I sincerely enjoy writing this, and I'm so glad that other people are enjoying it too.


	3. Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I swear that I'm done bumping up the chapter count. Sorry this part took so long, I took a little vacation in Florida, and also this thing got very sticky in places. I'm sure you'll enjoy it though-- note the rating increase. 
> 
> :)

**_1.6.XX_ **

“Congratulations, Naruto. Miso gave birth on your jacket.”

“Why are you acting like it’s _my_ fault?!”

“Because _you're_ the one that got attached to her in the first place.”

Naruto stares at Miso, lips pulled in a grimace as he scratches his head. The injured cat Naruto had insisted on patching up had followed them on and off over the past several days. And now she had stolen Naruto’s jacket from the tent in the dead of night and dragged it under a bush to use as a nest.

Naruto sighs and reaches out slowly, and when Miso gives no reaction, uses one finger to gently rub the head of the nearest kitten. There are six in total, all in a pile as they nurse blindly.

“Aw man... I can't even be that mad, either. They're _so cute.”_ Naruto pauses, looking over at Sasuke. “I guess this is a sign that I need new clothes, huh?”

“Probably,” he grunts as he pokes at the campfire. He’s turning the branches and trying to build it up a little more so that it's hot enough to cook breakfast. They've moved away from the mountains they had been travelling along, so the weather had eased up in its extremity, but there was still a good few inches of snow on the ground. The air had a deathly sort of stillness to it now, the snow draping perfect and undisturbed like a painting.

His head turns up at the sound of a squalling kitten, but he can't see much other than a stray orange sleeve from under the bush. Naruto reaches in, adjusts something, and the crying stops.

“I think I found which one’s the runt. This little guy keeps getting knocked off,” Naruto says.

“He’ll probably die, then.”

“What?!”

“Kittens need a lot of attention before they're weaned. Six kittens is a lot to keep up with, especially for a wild cat. If he can't hold onto the teat, then the stronger kittens will push him out and he'll starve.”

Sasuke doesn't expect the muffled snigger that bubbles up from Naruto’s chest.

“You said _teat.”_

Sasuke growls and throws an unburned chunk of wood at him.

“You're so immature!”

Naruto cackles gleefully and stands up from his couch, leaving the kittens so that he can sit down next to Sasuke. That turned out to be a mistake, because he immediately took the opportunity to swat Naruto’s arm.

“You're an idiot.”

Naruto laughs and leans obnoxiously into Sasuke’s space, nuzzling into his cheek with the top of his head.

“Maybe so, but at least I'm cute.”

“I’ve seen you summon _toads_ that are cuter than you.”

_“Oi.”_

* * *

 

**_1.7.XX_ **

Naruto shades his eyes from the sun, squinting against the glare from the snow.

“I can see the next village,” he calls down to Sasuke. “We could be there in an hour or so. Less if we book it.”

“Alright, come on down, then.”

Naruto makes an affirmative noise before pushing himself from the trunk of the tree and falling gracefully to the ground. He lands with a grunt, and scoops up the wicker box he had left behind to climb the tree. It’s the same one that had been used to hold the ingredients, but now the tins clink within Sasuke’s backpack instead. Six simultaneous wails come from inside it as it’s jostled and Naruto winces as Miso gives him the evil eye.

“Sorry, sorry!” He says sheepishly, carrying the box much more gently.

Naruto refused to leave behind the newborn kitten in the forest, so Miso was convinced (with lots of dried fish) to allow the kittens to be picked up and placed carefully within the box, still swaddled in his jacket. They were being carried closer to the next town, where food and warmth were more readily available, and then _left_ because they can't just haul six kittens and a grumpy mother around with them, _Naruto_.

They decide to Not Book It to the next town, and it's early afternoon by the time they're finally passing the first buildings. They draw some looks, but not a lot, so it's probably due more to the fact that they're travellers than anybody recognizing them as world saviors and/or renowned criminals. A mutual sense of relief falls over both of them, and even Naruto keeps quiet to avoid drawing attention-- after all, sun-yellow hair and distinctive cheek marks can only be dismissed so many times.

As they enter the town, Miso, who had been following Naruto closely the entire time, breaks off and trots down an alley. She looks over her shoulder at Naruto and meows loudly, as if irritated that he isn’t already following her. The man in question turns to Sasuke, grinning nervously.

“How about I go see what she wants and you can sell the furs we’ve gotten. Then we can meet up and find a place to stay.”

“Sounds fine. Try not to get too distracted.”

 _“Try not to get too distraaacted,”_ Naruto mocks in a high, nasally voice, then blows a short raspberry. “I know what I'm doing.”

“Ooookay...” Sasuke mutters in a Very Convinced Voice, turning and heading down the street.

“What's that supposed to mean?!”

“Whatever you want it to.”

Naruto grumbles something, but it's unintelligible and apparently unimportant, as he stalks off to wherever Miso has trotted off to without another word. Sasuke huffs and heads deeper into town, keeping an eye out and occasionally asking the locals for directions. The ground is muddy with melted snow, and people move slow and quietly, almost like the town itself is still partially asleep. The shops all have worn storefronts, with faded, peeling paint and doors that squeaked when they swung open. It feels... stagnant, almost. Like nothing new has been here in decades.

He gets good prices for the rabbit and squirrel pelts they've accumulated over the past several days. Surprisingly good, honestly. The man he sold the pelts to was positively ancient, with drooping eyelids and gnarled fingers. He didn't speak much and it was a little unsettling. He leaves the store and takes a moment to let his eyes pan over the town. The unsettling feeling grows, but he can’t quite put his finger on _why..._

“SASUKE!”

Sasuke nearly jumps out of his god damned skin as Naruto practically appears in front of him, grabbing his shoulders tightly. He goes tense and shoots Naruto a dirty look.

_“What.”_

“Sasuke, this town has an onsen! We should totally stay there tonight!” He chatters excitedly. Sasuke’s nose wrinkles, brow pinching.

“It's probably going to be expensive. We shouldn't waste our money there,” he says slowly. Naruto rolls his eyes and takes Sasuke’s hand, squeezing it.

“Just one night can't hurt that badly. It's not wasting our money if we enjoy ourselves, yeah?” The logic in his words is... surprisingly solid and Sasuke finds it difficult to find reasons to keep arguing. Especially when Naruto is giving him the god damned puppy eyes as he leans into his personal space. He’s close enough to where Sasuke can feel his ridiculous body heat radiating off of him, and it makes rational thinking a bit difficult. He purses his lips and averts his eyes.

“... one night only,” he concedes reluctantly.

 _“Yes!”_ Naruto throws his hands up in the air. “Hell yeah, I haven't been to a hot spring in, like, twenty years.”

“You're eighteen?”

_“And?”_

“... You know what, nevermind.”

Naruto cackles and sticks his tongue out, content with his victory. He takes Sasuke’s hand again and begins pulling him down the road, navigating them as if he’d been there for years and not less than an hour. Sasuke’s face flushes darkly as their fingers interlace, but he buries his chin in his scarf and allows himself to be dragged along. He listens to Naruto talk about Miso and her kittens (which he has named Menma, Egg, Kimchi, Scallion, Seaweed, and Soy Sauce, much to Sasuke’s utter mortification), the ramen place he spotted that the Absolutely Had to Visit, and various other things. The things he rambled about never held much weight or importance, but the way Naruto always spoke with pure enthusiasm made Sasuke listen anyways. 

The bathhouse inn that surrounded the natural hot spring in the area was one of the biggest buildings in town: three stories, with tall privacy fences and barren sakura trees all around. The front desk clerk was the youngest person they'd seen so far: a young woman, barely more than thirty, with plump, dimpled cheeks and a perky smile.

“Welcome to the Onigiri Onsen! Will you two be needing a room tonight?”

“Yeah, a king for one night,” Sasuke says, pulling out his pouch of money. He catches the way her eyes flick over to Naruto, then at him, and then blink once as she comes to some kind of conclusion. Sasuke holds her gaze flatly until her eyes turn up in a cheery smile.

“Of course! Fifty ryo, please.”

Well, it was cheaper than expected, but Naruto still held faithfully to the agreement of one night only. The clerk passes over a key and chirps, “enjoy your stay!”

Naruto struts off towards the stairs, the floorboards creaking nearly every step of the way. The place is clean, but old, and the decor reminds Sasuke the kind of traditional things that grandmothers like to keep a ahold of. Sasuke eyes the clerk warily as they begin to climb the stairs.

“Oi, Naruto...”

“Mm?”

“Does anything seem... off about this town?” He asks. “Like, something not right?” Naruto tilts his head, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, it's kinda gloomy, but I don't there's anything _wrong_ with it, really. Why, have you noticed something off?”

“No, not really. It's just a feeling.”

“Oh, well... I trust your feelings, so we'll keep an eye out, yeah? But y’know, it might just be the fact that it's been awhile since you've hung out with anyone but me. You haven't always been the most people-y person.” Naruto cackles and dodges Sasuke’s irritated swipe, prancing his way all the way up to the door of their room. He sticks the key in and throws it open, sucking in a deep breath as he drops his bag.

“Comfy bed, HERE I COME.” He throws himself down on the single king bed, burying his face in one of the multitude of fluffy pillows arranged neatly on it. Or at least, they had been.

The bed sits in the dead center of the room, pushed against the far wall with a woven rug before it and a sitting area with a kotatsu to the right. There's a window above the bed with sheer curtains letting in cold, gray light from the afternoon sun and a nightstand sits on either side of the bed, furnished with a clock and a lamp. Peculiarly, an open square is embedded in the wall to the right of the door, a rope and handle dangling within it, and a plaque below it says “ring for service.”

Sasuke sets down his bag and rolls his shoulders around, kneading into them with a pained grimace. Carrying the tent was never fun-- but now, at least for a night, they had a warm, comfortable bed and (more importantly) _hot water._

“Do you wanna head down to the baths right now?” Naruto asks, rolling over and tucking his hands behind his head to better observe Sasuke. He smirks and kicks his shoes off.

“You read my mind. Bathrobes are over there.” He points, prompting Naruto to roll off the bed and bound over to where a small pile of blue and white yukata-style robes sit. He expects him to grab one and head into the bathroom, but then watches, dumbfounded, as Naruto proceeds to strip right there. He slips his arm through the robe, knots it around his waist and turns, tossing a robe at Sasuke, who nearly fumbles it.

“Well? Get changed. I'll turn around if you're too _shy_ ,” he teases, fanning himself like a maiden. Sasuke grits his teeth, feeling his face heat up.

“Fuck off.”

Naruto _does_ end up turning around, and Sasuke isn’t quite sure if he should be relieved or annoyed. He takes the time to fold his clothes up and place them neatly on the bed, mostly just to piss off a whining and impatient Naruto.

The onsen is practically deserted as they make their way down to the bath area, which isn't really surprising; it's not like the town is a tourist hub. It was almost surprising they were receiving so little attention-- they were probably the first visitors in ages. The showering room before the springs is empty too, even the tiled floor was dry as a bone. The place is clean though, despite its age and lack of use, which is the only part that matters.

Naruto doesn't seem bothered. He discards his robes, does his cursory scrub down, and is utterly shameless in his nudity as he struts towards the spring, swinging his towel over his shoulder.

“Last one in’s a rotten egg!”

He drops the towel, takes a three-step running start and launches himself into the spring. Sasuke follows behind, more thorough in his pre-rinsing and more prude in his towel placement, and glares disapprovingly when Naruto’s head pops out of the water.

“Why are you like this?”

“Hmm..” he taps his chin and pretends to think hard on the answer. “Maybe it was all the childhood neglect or something. Get in here before the cold makes your dick shrink even more.”

Sasuke fumes silently, dropping his towel and easing slowly into the water. The heat makes his cold feet prickle, but it’s a good kind of pain, chasing away the numbness he felt like he’d been plagued by for weeks. He sinks in up to his nose and then stops, letting out a long, bubbly sigh. After freezing his ass off in the wilderness for over a week, this was _exactly_ what he needed. Sore, chafed muscles seem to exhale their tension all at once and he closes his eyes wearily. A sudden rush of appreciation for Naruto wells up in him-- he never would have indulged like this had he been travelling alone.

Come to think of it, he wouldn’t have done a _lot_ of things without Naruto’s pushy insistence. He wouldn’t have taken random breaks to go swimming in mountain creeks. He wouldn't have dropped by random villages and allowed himself to join in their celebrations. He wouldn't have spared people like Goro. He wouldn't have spoiled himself with foreign cuisine just for the sake of trying it.

Sasuke had a thousand little ways of punishing himself-- of turning down small pleasures wherever they cropped up, because, simply put, he’d never allowed them to be a part of his life-- there was always some sort of excuse. He never had time, he had other things to focus on, the figures of authority in his life chastised him for his selfish little desires...

Ultimately, he didn’t _deserve_ them.

Naruto saw all of this and accepted none of it. It was impossible to hate himself, to try and confine himself to the cold and dark when every other minute Naruto was pushing, tugging, burning bright and brilliant, overwhelming in his compassion. Some days were more successful than others, but even when the lower days hit, he was patient and supportive from a distance. He knew when to push and when to let him be.

His issues go back over a decade, and it’ll probably be twice that before they’ll ever really leave. He knows this, _intimately,_ but it’s easier to take it in stride knowing that there’s really nothing he could do to pry Naruto off of him. He took his damned _arm_ off and he had practically laughed it off. So, for the time being, he could hate himself and enjoy a hot bath at the same time.

The water stirs and Sasuke opens his eyes. He's _immediately_ met by a pair of sapphire blue ones, an inch from his face, but to his credit, he doesn't flinch.

“Very stealthy,” he praises wryly. “I almost didn't notice you.”

Naruto smirks, uncharacteristically sly, and rises from the water to perch in Sasuke’s lap, his movements almost... _dainty_.

“You're really boring, you know,” Naruto grumbles, his arms coming up to drape around Sasuke’s shoulders. “Who just sits in a hot spring and does nothing?”

“Normal people,” Sasuke replies, resisting the urge to rise to the bait. “You shouldn’t be _doing_ anything else. Do you know _anything_ about bathing etiquette?”

“Nope,” he says, lips popping on the ‘P.’ “Etiquette-schmetiquette. I'm bored.” His mouth starts pressing, slow and teasing, to the side of his neck. He trails up to Sasuke’s jaw, hints of teeth scraping over heat-sensitive skin. Every place his mouth comes in contact with seems to blossom, like he’s being kissed by sunlight instead of a pair of human lips. He leaves a trail of golden brush strokes across Sasuke’s skin, and even though they’re in the cold heart of winter, he feels like he’s back on that creek bank, leaves whispering as they trace flower petal patterns on his skin. His stomach flutters and it’s getting hard to focus.

Naruto leans back and tilts his head a little, inspecting an old mark on Sasuke’s collarbone with a crooked little smile.

“This one’s finally starting to fade,” he said, circling the hickey he had left days ago with soft fingers. “That took forever.” Sasuke clicks his tongue irritably.

“It took a perfectly normal amount of time. You just heal ridiculously fast,” he mutters. He runs his eyes up and down Naruto’s neck, but is unsurprised when he finds nothing; every single mark he’d left back at the way station had vanished completely. The completely irrational urge to mark up him up again strikes him, and it’s almost disturbing how tempting the idea is-- necking Naruto in a hot spring.

Logically, he knows that this is wildly inappropriate for a public bath. They shouldn't even be _touching,_ much less letting Naruto sit his naked ass in his lap.

But this place is deserted, and probably had been for days. So logic be damned, he finds his normal barriers slowly coming down in favor of getting the breath kissed out of him by a pushy blonde idiot.

“This is a _public_ bath, you know. You're gonna get us caught.”

Naruto pulls back, a devious glint in his eyes.

“Yeah, but you don't really care, do you?”

No, he really doesn't.

When Naruto tilts his chin up and pulls him into a lazy, open-mouthed kiss, he lets it happen. Naruto’s  tongue slides easily against his own, and the beginnings of a low heat start curling in his gut. Sasuke’s fingers drag up Naruto’s spine and back down until his hand comes to a rest at the small of his back. Naruto’s skin is feverishly hot from the water, even more so than usual, and Sasuke would happily let himself be scalded if it meant getting more of _this._

He’d had never really understood the obsession with romance when he was younger. Everybody seemed to fret endlessly over crushes, over unrequited feelings, over the _dreadful_ state of being single. Maybe it was because it had always been girls throwing themselves at him-- maybe it was simply because it just hadn’t been Naruto. Whatever it was, he had a dumb boyfriend _now_ and if anything happened to him, he’d kill everyone in a ten mile radius and then himself.

Dramatic? Perhaps. But he sincerely doubted that anyone other than Naruto would be able to put up with his crap.

The kiss isn't rushed or particularly heated, but it was special in its languidness. It was almost surreal-- like their own little pocket universe where they could relax in hot water and kiss as steam curls around them in soft tendrils, not having to worry about the end of the world or the beginning of a new one.

Naruto nips his lower lip playfully, sending a delightful shiver down Sasuke’s spine, but there's a _weight_ to it that makes him think that he needs to pump the breaks before they embarrass themselves. Or worse, get kicked out.

“Oi...” Sasuke mumbles, breaking the kiss reluctantly. “We should... probably take this somewhere else.”

“Maaaan, where’s your sense of _adventure?”_ Naruto whines, making absolutely no effort to get off of him. Sasuke gives Naruto’s chest a very deliberate poke.

“Right here,” he says with a crooked smile. “And you have enough _Adventure_ for six people. Now get off of me before we ‘Adventure’ ourselves into a public indecency charge.” Naruto blows a raspberry but lifts his leg from the other side of Sasuke’s hips, collapsing down next to him instead with a splash. He stretches his legs out in front of him, slumping until his nose is nearly underwater.

“You’re no fun,” he gurgles. Sasuke sighs, resting his head on the rock behind him.

“Give me fifteen more minutes. Afterwards, let’s go back up to the room and get something to eat, alright?” He says. Naruto shrugs and pushes off the wall, floating to the other side and then ducks under for several seconds. Sasuke watches him entertain himself for a moment before letting his eyes close again.

Despite Sasuke’s (well-placed) paranoia, nobody else comes to join them in the onsen. Naruto gives him that annoying “Told You So” look, but Sasuke ignores him in favor of lifting himself out of the spring and heading back into the showers. He douses himself in cold water before towelling off and wrapping himself up in his robe again. When Naruto hoists himself out of the water, he spends several seconds stretching before towelling himself off as well.

“Ahh, that hit the spot. I wonder what they have here for dinner... I hope it’s--!”

“ _Not_ ramen,” Sasuke cuts in. “We’re visiting that other shop later, right? We’re not eating ramen two meals in a row.” Naruto squints his eyes, pouting.

“You’re no _fun_ ,” he grumbles, echoing his complaint from earlier. Sasuke grunts and parts the curtain that separates the bath and the rest of the inn.

“Sakura told me to make sure you don’t eat ramen every day and that’s what I’m doing. Would you like to take it up with her?”

Naruto falls deathly silent.

“Thought so.”

They get back to their room and Sasuke unlocks the door, hipping it open and tossing the keys on the kotatsu off to the right. It’s still early in the afternoon, the clock only just beginning to inch past four. They had a decent amount of money left, maybe they should go out and get Naruto a new jacket--

Sasuke grunts in surprise as a pair of arms wrap around his waist, tugging him until he thumps solidly against Naruto’s chest.

“Well, we’re not in a public bath anymore. Do you have any more objections, Mr. Prude?” Naruto teases, his lips brushing the shell of Sasuke’s ear. Goosebumps shoot down his spine and Sasuke forgets for a moment that he’s supposed to speak.

“None that matter, anyways,” he mutters. Naruto kisses behind his ear softly, arms tightening.

“That’s not true, all your opinions matter. Except the dumb ones. So are you having valid objections right now or dumb ones?”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, turns in Naruto’s arms, and rests his hand on the back of his neck.

“I’m not having any, you dolt,” he chastises softly. “Stop talking.” Naruto grins cheekily, resting his forehead briefly on Sasuke’s.

“Alrighty then.”

He’s not quite sure who does the most pushing or pulling, but they collapse back on the bed, the comforter poofing up around them. The mattress is soft and Naruto’s weight makes him sink into it, trapped under hot skin and wandering hands. Naruto’s mouth finds the column of his throat and Sasuke sighs, putting his fingers through feathery yellow hair. It’s getting long, almost wild, and it’s just about the perfect length to--

Sasuke winds his fingers into it and gives a firm tug, pulling him up so that he can capture his mouth in another heated kiss. Naruto’s breath rumbles in his chest in a low groan, and he bites into it, making Sasuke’s heart stutter. Naruto’s hands fist in his robe, and the tension makes it loosen, falling open nearly down to his navel.

Their mouths pause, almost in sync. Naruto sits back a little, ducking his head to avoid Sasuke’s eyes.

“Um... so, like, are we doing this?” He mumbles. “Y’know, for real.”

“For real?”

“Yeah, you know... er...” Naruto sits back fully, crossing his arms as he struggles to find the words. Sasuke props himself up on one elbow, smiling fondly at Naruto’s utter lack of maturity.

“You mean fucking?” Sasuke supplies helpfully.

“Don’t look so casual, you bastard! It’s not like I’ve done this before!”

“What, you think I _have?”_

“Yes-- _no._ I just... y’know, you’re better than me at pretty much everything. I guess I’m just not... used to both of us not knowing what the hell we’re doing.”

Sasuke pulls his elbow out from under him and flops back, covering his eyes. Almost without realizing it, a laugh bubbles up from his throat.

“God, we didn’t even prepare anything for this. Maybe we should try something else or... what’s that _look_ for?”

Naruto’s lower lip juts out and he stares up at the ceiling, frowning in the distinct manner of a person with a guilty conscience. Without warning, he rolls off of Sasuke and heads for his bag, slumped against the wall where he had dropped his earlier. He starts digging through it, back turned, and Sasuke watches idly as his robe slips off his shoulder. He almost forgets to listen as Naruto starts talking.

“Well, after I found the onsen and went to go find you, I was thinking about... stuff. And whatever. And so I stopped by this store and uh... I bought this.”

Naruto’s brow is still pinched with embarrassment when he turns around and holds up a medium sized clay bottle. It’s blank, except for the word _oil_ branded on the side of it, real subtle like. Sasuke heaves a huge sigh.

“You planned this.”

“I... yes?”

“You actually _planned_ this.”

“ _What?_ We finally have a bed, pardon me for wanting to _use_ it!”

Sasuke laughs again, and lifts his hand, making a beckoning gesture. As he pads over the creaky floor, Sasuke sits up and turns to let his legs hang off the side of the bed. Naruto sets the bottle on the nightstand with a clunk and shifts to stand easily within Sasuke’s reach. Without really speaking, his fingers slowly work into the knot on Naruto’s robe, until it slips open. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered-- he shrugs his shoulders and the flimsy fabric slips to the floor entirely, pooling around his ankles.

“You’re incredible,” Sasuke mumbles as he pulls Naruto down for a couple of soft kisses. Naruto’s resists though, a crooked smile pulling at his lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He mutters as Sasuke chases after his affection.

“It means I appreciate you and everything you do,” he sighs. Naruto’s eyes blink wide open, and it’s almost like a whole night’s worth of stars has been drawn into them. He suddenly grabs Sasuke’s cheeks between his hands, squeezing until his face contorts into a caricature akin to a fish.

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Sasuke?!”

Sasuke makes an irritated noise and twists his head until Naruto releases him.

“Knock it off, you dork,” he says, but a smile tugs at his lips despite that. Naruto grins wide, and his squishing hands turn to caressing instead, thumbs brushing over his cheeks. Sasuke tugs gently and this time Naruto goes without a fight, following Sasuke as he lies back down on the mattress. He kisses under Sasuke’s eye gently, then the corner of his mouth, and all the tension drains from his shoulders as easily as if Naruto had pulled the plug on a bath. He’s so drawn up in the sensations, he barely notices as Naruto pulls open the knot tying his robe closed, sliding it open.

And that was it. Sasuke pulls his arms from the sleeves, and the last barriers between them spread out limply on the mattress beneath them, like the melted wax wings of a boy who got too close to the sun. His heart thrums in his chest like a rabbit, and the heat that always sits in his gut around Naruto grows sharper-- more insistent, prickling underneath his skin and demanding attention. He’s never been _this_ vulnerable before-- splayed out, nude, pinned beneath Naruto’s weight as he gladly bears every vital organ, every pulsing vein. It’s as titillating as it is nerve-wracking. Naruto’s mouth moves to his throat and Sasuke breathes out, his eyes falling shut.

“Why are you so tense?” He mumbles. Sasuke purses his lips, and moves his hand so that it’s resting on Naruto’s flank.

“I guess I’m just... not used to not knowing what the hell I’m doing.”

Naruto laughs, and Sasuke can feel it in the ribs under his palm. He nuzzles his nose into Sasuke’s neck and, against all expectations, he finds himself fighting back a smile, tilting his head to try and crowd Naruto out.

“You're so damned _gay,”_ he protests, even as he’s wrapping his arm possessively around  Naruto’s shoulders.

“I’m not gay,” he denies.

“Really?”

“Nope.”

“You're ridiculous.”

Sasuke snorts as he rolls Naruto partially over so that they're lying on their sides. It was hard to pinpoint where his nervousness originated, because it felt impossible to hang on to any kind of darkness when Naruto kissed him like this, _touched_ him like this. Everything he knew about himself had to be reevaluated in Naruto’s presence. He shined a light on parts of himself that he didn't want to see, revealed things he didn't even know _existed._ He knew about the dark, wounded parts of himself, but Naruto made it easier to see the good things too.

Naruto had already seen and accepted the ugliest parts of him, and, well... his body definitely was _not_ the ugliest part.

Mouths and hands wander, mapping contours in brand new ways. Sasuke already knew every curve and plane of Naruto’s face, every faint freckle that darkened in the summer sun, knew the calluses on his hand and the scar-like swirls on his stomach that marked him as a jinchuuriki. He could pick him out amongst a thousand other blue-eyed blondes; but now he feels out with fingers and lips, tasting salt and sulphur as he pulls out soft sounds and has them pulled in return. Sparks dance whenever Naruto’s inexperienced bumbling finds smoldering spots of pleasure; sparks turn to arcs when he begins learning the ins and outs of Sasuke’s body, all the little spots that make him gasp and shudder and curse quietly.

Now, there's a part of Sasuke that knew, deep down, that with teeth like _that_ , Naruto would have a thing for biting. The part that surprises Sasuke is that he quickly realizes that he has a thing for being _bit._

Bruises pepper his shoulders and jaw, gradually getting deeper as Sasuke got louder. Even when he’s rolled over, Naruto’s teeth find the nape of his neck, his curve of his trapezius. His thoughts start falling apart, giving way to the addictive hum of arousal that made his whole body shake. He thought, with a low groan as Naruto shifts his hips a little, that he'd probably shake to pieces if Naruto weren't gripping him hard enough to bruise. He swallows, curses, fists his hand in the sheets and lets go, lets every touch and slide obliterate every thought in his mind because he knows from the very bottom of his soul that he’s in safe hands. Sasuke gasps in a very _particular_ way, and Naruto’s smiling mouth presses to the dip of his spine.

“I got you,” he mumbles, hands squeezing. “I got you.”

Sasuke lets out a choked cry because he _knows._ There's never been a day in his life that some part of him didn't know that out of all the things that left him him and all the things that broke, Naruto was not one of them. Never had been, and never would be.

His very _soul_ seems to flinch as he realizes that he couldn't be one of those things either. Out of the many things in Naruto’s life that left him and the many things that broke, Sasuke could not be one of them. He never _would_ be one of them. Everything was different and yet still the same, because the world would burn before anything kept them apart.

Despite the fact that he's been on the edge for what feels like ages, his climax takes him by surprise, pulling every muscle taught until he's shuddering, gasping, reaching back and digging his fingers into whatever handful of flesh he can. With every pulse of his heart it gets easier to manage, until the static fades and everything finally come back into clarity.

They've made a spectacular mess of the robe that they were _still_ lying on, but Sasuke supposed it's better that then the sheets. He hums as Naruto starts kissing along the marks that he's left, softly, with an aching tenderness that makes it kind of hard to breathe. Naruto pushes himself up on his elbow and Sasuke rolls onto his back, neatly fitting underneath him. He's still mouthing lazily over every tooth mark and blooming hickey, and Sasuke puts his fingers through his hair and pulls him close. His body has settled into a pleasantly warm buzz, affection dripping sluggishly through his veins like honey.

His lips seem to move of their own accord.

“I love you,” he breathes, nuzzling his cheek against Naruto’s temple where he's still hovering a hair’s breadth from his neck. “Thank you... for coming after me. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here.”

Naruto sits back a little so that he can stare down with stars in his eyes and the softest smile on his face.

“I'm glad you came back.”

Naruto sinks back into the sheets behind Sasuke, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close. Minutes, hours, who knows, but they stay like that, in a half-doze only disturbed by a yawn or a kiss or a shift. It feels sappy and sugary, like he’d wither away into a pile of cavities because Sasuke had no defense against something like this. He had no defense against _Naruto._ Every wall, every barrier, every pike he tried to put up to keep everyone out, Naruto had dismantled with an almost inhuman persistence.

It was a strange feeling-- being in love. Because, Sasuke smiles to himself, that’s what this is, isn’t it? He’d lived his whole life in denile, and he was honestly tired of it; there was no point trying to deny this. He was hopelessly, unrepentantly, undeniably in love. It feels like a kind of lightness that digs into every inch of him; it’s like that hypersensitive prickling pain that comes after a steam burn; it’s not being able to see the color blue without thinking of crinkled, grinning eyes; it’s the taste of ramen and buttered rum and slightly burnt rabbit.

It’s an arm around his waist, breath puffing softly on the back of his neck, warmth surrounding every inch of him.

It’s the faint rumbling of Naruto’s stomach, and a guilty snort of laughter.

Both of them break out into quiet chuckles and Naruto detaches, flopping onto his back.

“Damn, I'm hungry,” he laughs.

“Didn't we say we were going to get food?”

“Yeah, well, I got distracted.”

Another, slightly more _sly_ chuckle passes between them, and Sasuke heaves a sigh, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

“Go find something to put on, I'm gonna ring the bell.” Naruto makes a lazy sound of agreement and rolls himself out of bed. Sasuke drags his bag to the bathroom to clean himself up and get a pair of pants on. When he returns, Naruto’s gotten himself into some boxers too and has cleared the robes off the bed. Satisfied that they're not gonna be caught with their dicks out, Sasuke gives the cord on the wall a firm yank.

Not even two minutes later, there’s a knock on the door, and upon opening it, Sasuke finds the same dimpled woman from the front desk-- still with the Exact Same Smile on her plastic face.

“What can I do for you?” She says cheerily.

“What kind of food can we have brought up here?”

“Well, tonight we're serving Shogayaki, but if you want something else, we can--"

“Shogayaki’s fine,” Sasuke interjects. “Thank you.”

“Can we get a bottle of sake too?” Naruto calls from the bed.

“Sure thing. We'll be right up in just a little bit.” She smiles even wider before turning and marching back down the hall. Sasuke squints after her for a beat before closing the door.

“I don't like her,” Sasuke mutters immediately. “She's too peppy.” Naruto cackles as he stretches out sideways on the bed.

“It's just because you're emo, like, all the time,” Naruto teases.

“I am not.”

“Are too!”

“What are you, twelve?”

“Yeah, twelve inches deep in _you.”_

Sasuke goes stiff, face flushing, and Naruto grins as he wiggles his eyebrows. Sasuke purses his lips and aims a cool look at him.

“You only _wish_ it was twelve inches.”

Naruto’s jaw drops, and looks like he’s trying to form some sort of comeback when there was a polite knock on the door.

“Room service!” An annoyingly familiar voice chirps. Naruto and Sasuke exchange a bizarre look.

“That was fast,” Sasuke mutters.

“Maybe they have a secret tunnel system in the inn that lets them get places faster.”

“Y’know, I’d rather not think of that.”

Sasuke opens the door and then steps to the side to allow the same woman from before, plus a second helper into the room. They set down two covered platters on the kotatsu, two sets of chopsticks, a pot of tea, and a bottle of sake and then bow politely.

“Enjoy your meal! Just leave the dishes outside your room and we'll come collect them. If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ring the bell!”

They back out as quickly as they had come and Sasuke closes the door again. Naruto crawls out of bed, nearly splattering on the floor when his foot gets caught in the sheets; he doesn't seem bothered though, because his eyes are still glued to the platters.

“Oh man, that smells _good,”_ he moans. He settles down on the cushion in front of the kotatsu and eagerly picks up the chopsticks. Sasuke is slightly more patient, taking a moment to sit down next to Naruto and put his napkin in his lap. The lids are removed and the mouth-watering aroma of ginger pork fills the room and even Sasuke can admit what this place lacked in modern amenities it made up for in really good damned food. And even _better,_ there were tomato quarters on the side.

“Thank you for the meal!” Naruto crows, and Sasuke echoes it quietly before going immediately for the quarters.

“Here, you can have mine,” Naruto says, tossing his tomatoes onto Sasuke’s plate. He snatches them the second they drop and he's reminded, faintly, of his fantasy of living in a cottage somewhere with Naruto for the rest of his life. What a mushy, domestic bitch he’s turning into.

They clear their plates almost without speaking, aside from Naruto letting out lewd moans every once in awhile as he shoves food in his mouth. He eagerly pops the cork on the sake bottle once he finishes and tips it right up, unsurprisingly, and takes a big swallow.

“Whoo, this stuff’s good,” he sighs happily, burping a little.

“I'm surprised you even tasted it,” Sasuke mutters wrly. Naruto sticks his tongue out.

“Come on, those dishes are barely even a mouthful. It's not like we're in a restaurant, so why not?” He says, tilting the bottle invitingly, eyebrow raised. Sasuke eyes it for a second before taking it with a shrug.

“Fuck it.”

He tips it up and takes a sip; Naruto always had a funny way of convincing him to ignore all the stringent specifics of social etiquette he’d been raised with. Naruto gives a small whoop and takes the bottle back.

“Hell yeah! Man, I love being a bad influence.” He tips the bottle up and takes another swig, noticeably bigger than Sasuke’s. Now it's _his_ turn to raise an eyebrow, leaning his arm on the table.

“Why are you _chugging_ sake? I thought you said you couldn't get drunk.”

Naruto shrugs and passes the bottle back.

“If I drink it fast enough, sometimes I can get a little bit of a buzz before my metabolism can get to it. Plus, once you get your skin fried off by malevolent chakra, a little booze burn ain't nothin’,” he says with a little satisfied smile.

Sasuke decides not to ask and takes another sip.

They trade the bottle back and forth, talking quietly about this and that, about Sakura, about Kakashi, touching the surface of Sasuke’s strange teammates while was briefly in Akatsuki. But as they keep going, talking starts getting hard, as does listening. Sasuke’s eyes start getting heavy and he stares at the bottle, head tilting, and then tilting a little more as his fragile equilibrium is thrown off. The bottle still felt surprisingly heavy for how drunk he feels. And _tired._ The bed looked really enticing about now.

“... suke.”

“Hm?” Sasuke turns back to Naruto, blinking heavily. Naruto’s staring at his hands, as if only just realizing he had them. Sasuke would have laughed if the idea of exerting so much _energy_ didn’t make his nose wrinkle.

“Somethin’s... kinda weird,” he mumbles. Sasuke shrugs and gives into the weight in his bones and slumps onto the table, clumsily shoving his plate out of the way.

“You're buzzed,” he slurs. “Just drink some water.”

“No, I mean I'm like... actually drunk, I think,” he says. He looks up and leans forward, shaking Sasuke’s shoulder. “Sasuke, I physically cannot get drunk. Sasuke, _hey._ Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sasuke says dismissively. He's so _tired._ Why can't this wait until tomorrow?

He grunts irritably as Naruto grabs him by the shoulders and yanks him up to stare into his eyes, giving him a sharp shake.

“Sasuke, _I can't get drunk._ Something’s wrong.”

Something about his tone and his face slice through the fog in Sasuke’s brain and a spike of panic goes through him. Naruto was right-- he was too tired, too sluggish to be just _drunk_. Especially not after half a bottle sake.

“Shit...” He manages to say through gritted teeth, but it's too late: darkness starts creeping around his vision and his muscles stop listening to him. He feels his head loll back, feels the floor rush to meet him, and them everything goes black.

It feels like he's being spun like a top, trapped in the eye of some black tornado. Voices filter in on occasion, but he can't make sense of the words and is left feeling more lost than before. Panic still writhes in his gut, a deeply ingrained survival instinct that keeps him from sinking completely.

Come on, you goddamn moron, get ahold of yourself, _come on._

His chakra stirs weakly, zapping through him like an electric shock, and it's enough to bring him back into his body at least. Sensations come back, but muffled: he’s slumped onto his side on the floor, his shoulder trapped under him uncomfortably. His eyes feel like they've been cemented shut, but through some miracle, he manages to force one open.

His vision is blurry and doubled images float across his eyes, but he can make out a couple of pairs of feet; how many, exactly, is impossible to tell, but their calves wrapped in linen and soft-soled shoes adorn their feet-- perfect for moving about silently. A popular uniform for assassins.

Of course. Another group of people trying to kill them: only this time, they were getting further along than most.

“...just a coincidence, you idiot. What would Konoha’s Hero be doing out here? Besides, he’s supposed to be some legendary demon-- you think some druggy booze can knock someone like him out? Get real.”

“But he’s got the cheek marks!”

“Then he’s probably just some con artist trying to trick people. It's not gonna matter when he's all cut up into pretty little pieces.” A breathy giggle echoes around the room, and the floor creaks as someone shifts.

“Man, these two looked so good earlier. They'll probably taste even better.”

... Sorry, _what?_ What the fuck? _What the fuck?_

Just when things started to make sense, it all just went out the window again. Grudges, he could understand-- random weirdos with cannibalistic leanings? Not so much.

“Go cut the blonde’s tendons, I'll get the other guy.”

Well, whatever amount of sense it did or didn't make no longer matter-- someone was walking towards Naruto and a boiling rage welled up in Sasuke’s stomach; like hell any of these creeps would lay a _fucking_ hand on him.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and held onto his rage, his brain clearing in the wake of it. His body was still weak, but he was able to force his hand to raise, pointing it at one of the various pairs of legs in his vision. He could only hope it was one of the real ones.

Chakra is hard to mould like this, his control slipping through his fingers like desert sand, but this move is one that he knows by heart, could do even in his _sleep._

The faint sound of chirping birds fills the room, and one of their attackers can only get in a “what the hell--?” before a white hot blade of lightning shoots from his palm towards his target. His luck holds out, because he feels the blade bite into flesh and someone screams in agony.

“AGH, MY FUCKING _LEG!”_

“What the fuck? How is he awake?!” He collapses to the floor, clutching the stump where his left leg used to be. Sasuke forces his hand under him, trying desperately to sit up, but the drugs in him are still too potent-- he barely gains an inch before someone kicks him viciously in the stomach, sending him sliding into the kotatsu.

“You motherfucker! You just took off his leg!”

A sword slides.

“Boji, _no!”_

Whoever had last spoken barely tackled the sword user in time; instead of slicing his throat open, the sword misses by a fraction and scores across Sasuke’s face instead, a hair’s breadth from the corner of his left eye. Sasuke grits his teeth, feeling blood gush over the bridge of his nose and onto the floor. His vision is clearing, and he's able to make out a more concrete image: two people stand in the center of the room, the third lying on the floor, sobbing over his missing leg. One of them is the girl from the front desk.

He fucking _called_ it.

All three look young, but... wrong, somehow. Too smooth faces and beautiful, perfect skin. Sasuke does _not_ want to know their self-care routine. Naruto lies to his left, but he shows no signs of waking up anytime soon-- of course he wouldn't, he drank twice as much as Sasuke had, easily. He finally manages to get his arm underneath him and pushes himself up, glaring at the two remaining threats.

“Don't... lay a fuckin’ hand on ‘im,” Sasuke snarls, brandishing his hand threateningly, still crackling faintly with electricity. Ms. Chirpy’s face contorts into a hideous smile, and she releases the man she had tackled.

“The drugs haven't even taken full effect yet-- you have no chance sweetie,” she sneers. Sasuke grits his teeth and his arm begins to shake with exertion; she's right, much to his distaste. He can feel the drug trying to drag him back into unconsciousness already. God, he should have known-- smelled or tasted or _seen_ something, _anything._

Now a bunch of freaks wanted to chop them up and eat them. Great.

Sasuke’s foggy brain whirled through a dozen options rapidfire, analyzing and dismissing each impossible scenario with practiced efficiency. He couldn't even stand, much less be able to drag Naruto out of there, and he had the chakra control of a three year old right now. If he could grab them without getting stabbed, then he _might_ be able to electrocute them into unconsciousness, but that was a big “if.” Also, who knew how many more allies they had-- he couldn’t activate his sharingan, so there could have been thirty men outside the door for all he knew.

This situation wasn't looking good.

“Unless you want a nine-tailed demon fox up your ass, I suggest leaving him alone,” Sasuke says lowly, nodding towards Naruto. “Test your luck with me instead-- I might even let you live.”

“You're bluffing,” Ms. Chirpy says, narrowing her eyes. “If he’s so tough, why doesn't he just come out and finish us right now, huh? Stupid fuck.” She grins and pulls a knife from her belt, taking a step towards Sasuke, a murderous glint in her eyes.

“I'm gonna have _fun_ cutting you up, pretty boy.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly, and began rapidly trying to build chakra under his skin. Fuck trying to get a hand on them, he’d have to go for an indiscriminate discharge-- hopefully it would reach both of them and Naruto would forgive him for electrocuting him.

Before he gets far though, _every_ hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

A dreadful aura filled the room, choking and bitter in its intensity. Ms. Chirpy’s gleeful expression is smacked off her face and Boji’s legs give out from beneath him. Sasuke’s gaze is immediately drawn to Naruto: a thick, bubbling red chakra drips out of him and cocoons him as he begins to move-- shifting, curling up, pushing onto his hands and knees.

“You know, footless fuck over there had it right,” he says, but it's deeper and rougher than anything Sasuke had ever heard come from Naruto’s throat-- but, somehow, it’s still familiar. “I really don't like when people _fuck_ with my _vessel.”_  

Naruto stands and lifts his gaze, but Sasuke pulls back, nearly collapsing, when he confirms his creeping suspicions.

That was definitely not Naruto.

Not even the _shadow_ of him that appeared when that furious red chakra cloaked him.

This was **_Kurama_ **.

The two people still conscious didn't have time to regret or to pray-- a clawed hand shoots from the chakra around his body and slams them through the wall, sending them sprawling into the next room amidst chucks of wood and plaster. The guy has been knocked clean out, but the girl rolls onto her stomach, coughing blood onto the floor.

Sasuke watches with a flat look as the cut on her cheek starts closing by itself. Because of _course_ they rented a room from some kind of superpowered psychopath. Him and Naruto couldn't stay away from trouble for _one_ second, could they?

Kurama clicks his tongue, the chakra limb shooting for her again, but she rolls out of the way and dives for the cord in the wall. She gives it a strong yank and turns back to Kurama with a vile grin.

“You're gonna keep my boss satisfied for _days,”_ she purrs. She then pounds a section of wall, which clicks open (of course Naruto had been right about the secret tunnels, god dammit) and she vanishes within it. Kurama withdraws the limb and grunts, _deeply_ unamused.

“Yeah, no, this isn’t happening. I’m not dealing with this coincidental protagonist-shit-disturbing today.”

Two more phantom limbs stretch from the chakra, one picking up the two backpacks strewn across the floor, and the other grabbing Sasuke around the waist and hoisting him into the air. Kurama aims a crimson-eyed glare at him and Sasuke sneers, the gash on his face pulling painfully.

“Fat lot of good you were, _Indra_ ,” he snarls.

“Just get us out of here,” Sasuke shoots back. The hand around him squeezes under his bones threaten to snap and he chokes on a grunt of pain.

“Don’t get mouthy with _me,_ human. The only reason I'm not grinding you into _paste_ and feeding you to Miso is because I've grown fond of the _cat_.”

The grip loosens and Sasuke sucks in a pained gasp of relief. His ribs ache fiercely, and he knows that he’s going to have some wicked bruising tomorrow, on _top_ of the marks he already has.

Kurama blows out the wall of the onsen, opening it to the frigid night air, and drops down to the ground below. If the town had looks sparse before, it was absolutely _abandoned_ now, not even a lit window to denote that anyone lived here. Kurama glares at his palm until a purple, almost black well of chakra gathers there in a ball and then flicks it into the onsen.

“That place smelled of death. I'm surprised neither of you noticed it,” Kurama mutters as he walks unhurriedly away from it. Sasuke is still hovering, leashed with chakra, near his side and watches as the bijuu bomb implodes, utterly destroying the entire inn in a flash of blinding light. Ms. Chirpy, Boji, footless fuck, whatever mysterious boss they worked under, all went up in an anticlimactic burst of blue fire.

“Bit of an overkill, don't you think?” Sasuke says flatly.

“That's a cursed place. The fact that it even _exists_ baffles me. Your kind have lost respect for the supernatural, and they, in turn, have lost respect for you-- don't act surprised at your supremely bad luck. Now please, shut the _fuck_ up before I pop your head off like a dandelion.”

Sasuke begrudgingly falls silent. Kurama is _infuriating,_ but drugged and half-paralyzed is not the way to start a fight. So he resigns himself to the soft sway of Kurama’s gait as he walks them out of town and into the woods. He even makes sure to cover his tracks through the snow, though he wasn’t sure why it mattered-- it was highly unlikely that anyone was in a state to follow after them. Not to mention, every beat of his heart sent spikes of agony to his split face, blood soaking into the collar of his flimsy shirt, rolling down his neck and dripping onto the ground. If there were any tracker animals inclined to find them, they might as well have left picketed signs pointing hunters in their direction.

They come across a thick knot of trees that has spared the ground from most of the snow, so Kurama stops there and drops Sasuke unceremoniously into the dirt. His bruises ring with pain, and a pebble digs rudely into his hip.

“You can move, yes? Find some rocks. I'll get wood.”

His tone is clipped and he doesn't wait for an answer, only marches off into the dark, the sound of snapping tree branches coming soon after. Sasuke sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The night had gone from spectacular to disastrous faster than he could even _track,_ and he felt like he had a serious case of whiplash.

Sasuke spits out mouthful of blood from the gash on his face and slowly, painfully pushes himself to his knees. It feels like his marrow has been replaced with lead and every twitch of his fingers takes a herculean effort. He stumbles like a drunk as he searches for stones, but eventually makes a small pile for Kurama to rearrange however he wants. He manages to sloppily lay out his bedroll and collapses on it. He was absolutely freezing but dying of hypothermia in his sleep wouldn't be a bad way to go.

An enormous _thump_ makes the ground vibrate and Sasuke reluctantly lifts his heavy head. An entire fucking _log_ lies on the ground, and a huge pile of crudely splintered wood drops down next to it. Kurama eyes the pile of rocks, purses his lips, and squats down to arrange them. Sasuke watches him with sharp eyes, goosebumps still rippling up and down his skin. The cocoon of bubbling red chakra was gone, but that prickling, potent aura still hung around him like a miasma.

It was jarring, watching Nar-- Kurama work. If he hadn't had those piercing ruby eyes, he'd look almost normal. No widening whisker marks, no claws, no animalistic teeth. But the longer Sasuke watched him, the more unsettling the image became. _Everything_ about his body language had changed; the way he crouches, bare toes digging into the hard earth, balancing precisely on his knuckles, spoke of a creature accustomed to being on all fours. His head twitches left and right, as if he isn't used to such small, immobile ears, and when he stands after completing the task of setting up a fire, he doesn't walk like an 18 year old confident in his power-- he walks like an old god, utterly assured in his immortality.

Kurama sits on the log he had thrown down earlier and loosely laces his fingers together, staring hard at the flames. A tense, uneasily silence descends over the crackle of sparks.

“How long are you going to be here?” Sasuke asks bluntly. Kurama doesn't even bother looking up.

“Until the brat wakes up. I'm staying at the front in case somebody attacks, because with the state you're in, you couldn't fend off a particularly ferocious squirrel.” Sasuke grits his teeth irritably and forces himself into a sitting position, legs crossed in front of him. He hates it, but the fox is right-- his chakra is barely responding to him, and coordinated movement is still out of the question.

He busies himself with pulling a heavy hoodie from his bag and tugging it over his head. A blanket comes out next and he wraps it around his shoulders. The blood on his shoulder and neck was quickly drying in the freezing air, but if he ruined a hoodie or a blanket, who cares. He could always buy new ones. The trees around them protect him from the wind, but not even Kurama’s roaring fire could drive away the chill of a frigid northern night.

Sasuke had never had a problem with silence. It had been his preferred state of being for years, but _this?_ This was different. It wasn't nosy teammates or pestering elders or manipulative bastards. This was _Kurama._ Arguably the biggest influence on Naruto’s life, and with a personal feud that had yet to be solved. There were words that _needed_ to be said, but Sasuke’s pride prickled in the back of his throat, effectively corking any attempts at speaking.

Sasuke Uchiha did not _struggle_ for words, but he was... close.

Kurama lets out a harsh bark of laughter, his eyes flicking up to pin Sasuke with a burning glare.

“Spit it out-- if you think any louder, every enemy in a mile radius will come running,” he says. Sasuke’s eye twitches irritably but he keeps his temper in check.

“What do you think of me?” He asks eventually.”I know you and me have bad blood, and just sitting here isn’t going to solve it.” He's pretty sure he knows the answer, but Sasuke has never been a man to make assumptions. Kurama leans back, regarding him with a piercing look.

“What do _I_ think of _you?”_ Kurama repeats slowly.

“Yes. I assume Naruto isn't listening at the moment, so let loose. I won't tell.” Sasuke perches his chin in his knuckles, and meets Kurama’s gaze unflinchingly. Kurama hums, almost a growl low in his chest, and slips off the log onto the ground, resting his back against it. His finger taps a beat on his knee, and Sasuke mentally prepares for the most intense roast of his life.

“I think your conviction is dangerously feeble for a human with your amount of power. Your loyalty means _nothing_ in the face of your whims, and you are easily manipulated as well.” Kurama picks up a twig from the ground and pokes the end of it in the fire, twisting slowly. “I think you're a coward for running away with Naruto instead of facing the consequences of your _prodigious_ stupidity. I think that you are _never_ going to have the honor or integrity it takes to face those consequences.”

Kurama pulls the stick from the fire and points it accusingly at Sasuke.

“I think that, for an insignificant _cockroach_ in the eyes of the universe, your sense of importance is overinflated-- I exist on a timescale that your puny brain cannot even _begin_ to comprehend and you would think to wipe me and my brothers and sisters out on a _whim?_ You thought that destroying nine of the biggest sources of natural energy on the planet would have no consequences? I think you're _stupid_ and undeserving of your good karma.” Kurama throws the stick fully into the flames, never once moving his gaze from Sasuke’s face.

“I think you are unworthy of someone like Naruto. I've been watching him for years, and despite _every_ betrayal, despite _every_ act of kindness you've thrown back in his face, despite his true comrades _begging_ him to give you up, he didn't. He never even _wavered._ Humans are selfish, despicable beings and I _hate_ every single fucking one of them, but _you_ cannot hold a candle to any of them.”

Kurama sits back, crosses his arms, and finally lowers his eyes to the flames.

“That, Sasuke Uchiha, is what I think of _you.”_

Every word hit like a shard of glass, but Sasuke takes a breath and then takes a minute to extract each one, lining them up in front of him and giving them a critical eye.

“For someone who hates humans, you seem rather fond of Naruto,” Sasuke comments, somehow still keeping his cool despite Kurama just ripping him a new one. Kurama’s teeth bare in a sneer (or maybe a smirk?) and he turns his head to spit off to the left.

“Yeah, and he's earned every ounce of respect I give him,” Kurama mutters. “Only further proving my theory that he was born without an iota of common sense.” That startles a quiet snort out of Sasuke and he flicks a dirt clod into the fire, frowning. Despite his crudeness, Kurama’s words pierce with deadly accuracy into the bruised parts of his heart. Profanity and hatred Sasuke had expected-- the psychoanalysis had caught him off guard.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” he mutters. “Your honesty is _greatly_ appreciated.” Kurama grins and rests his arm on the log behind him.

“Oh, don't throw a tantrum just because I told you the truth. You've reached adulthood for your kind, no? _Act like it._ If something I said hurts, then you agree with it and it's your responsibility to fix it. Naruto’s pushed himself to the brink and _past_ it for you-- a little self-evaluation won't fucking kill you." Kurama smirks and chews thoughtfully on his thumbnail.

“Who knows. If you try hard enough, maybe I'll even give a shit about you too. You've got balls, for a human-- I'll give you that. You just have a habit of sticking your dick where it doesn't belong.” Sasuke makes a face, prompting Kurama to cackle snidely. It peters off unexpectedly and Kurama shifts, head cocking, shoulders rolling.

“Naruto’s awake,” he says without warning. “Thank fuck; human bodies are infuriatingly small.” He jabs a finger at Sasuke. “This isn't the last you'll be seeing of me, Uchiha. I'll be keeping an eye on you.”

He then sits back and closes his eyes, relaxing into an almost meditative position. He opens one eye suddenly, as if remembering something.

“By the way, I burned the rest of the drugs from his system with chakra. I'm not a medic and I don't know dick about humans, so expect some kickback.”

“Kickback? What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?”

Too late-- the miasma that surrounded Naruto with Kurama in possession of his body leaks away and he shifts. A groan falls from his mouth, miserable and hoarse, but it's unmistakably _Naruto._ Relief floods through Sasuke and his sits forward, the anxiety he’d been pushing down all night finally beginning to rise up.

“Naruto?”

Naruto’s head drops limply, a hand coming up to press to his forehead. His eyes flicker open and they're clouded with exhaustion, but brilliantly, beautifully blue.

“Are you--"

_“Oh fuck.”_

Naruto whirls around, bends over the log and throws up spectacularly. Sasuke purses his lips and slowly makes his way over so that he can rub his hand in circles on Naruto’s back. There's not much he can do but wait it out, so he sits there and politely averts his gaze as Naruto proceeds to vomit up every last piece of food in his stomach.

The sick spell finally seems to lift after several minutes and Sasuke pushes Naruto’s hair from his sweaty forehead. He’s feverish, and his hands shake when they don’t clutch the bark in a white-knuckled grip

“Feeling better?” He asks.

“I feel like hot _garbage,”_ Naruto chokes, spitting out a mouthful of bile into the dirt. “But if you're asking if I'm done hurling my guts out... I think I am. Knock on wood, oh god.” He turns and collapses back against the log, tipping his head back. A crooked smile tugs at Sasuke’s lips and he taps his knuckles gently against Naruto’s head.

“I got you.”

“Ha ha,” Naruto deadpans, lifting his head a little. “Man, that was such good food too, this--” His eyes bug and what little color he had in his face drains.

“Dude, your _face!”_

Sasuke blinks and touches his face, which is still utterly drenched in congealed blood. He shakes his head and turns, going for his bag on the other side of the fire.

“I'm fine, it's just a scratch,” he says.

“Like hell it is! I think I can see _bone!_ What the fuck happened after I passed out?!”

Sasuke pulls out his canteen and swishes it around, satisfied at the decent amount of water still left in it. He returns to Naruto’s side and gives him the canteen.

“Kurama saved both our asses. Turns out the whole inn was some kind of trap by a bunch of psychopaths. I think they were cannibals? I didn't stick around long enough to ask about their diets,” he says with a huff.

“ _Kurama_ saved us?” Naruto blurts, flabbergasted. Because out of a sentence containing “psychopaths” and “cannibals,” _that’s_ what he decided to focus on. His eyes narrow suspiciously and he leans in, inspecting Sasuke’s face closely. “He didn't say anything mean, did he?”

Naruto’s eyes never waver, but it's almost like he can feel a second set of eyes weighing on him.

“No. He didn't really want to talk to me.”

Naruto makes a suspicious noise in the back of his throat, but buys it, at least for the time being. He opens the can and takes a swig, swishes it around in his mouth, and then spits it. Then he tears a strip from his frayed pants and soaks it in water.

“Come here,” he says, waving his hand. Sasuke clicks his tongue but complies without much fuss. Slowly and carefully, Naruto begins cleaning away the blood caked on his face and neck. Sasuke sucks in a breath as the cut is jostled and Naruto winces sympathetically.

“Sorry, love. Damn, they got you good, didn't they? I'm gonna have to--"

Something clicks in Sasuke’s mind.

“What did you just call me?”

“What?”

“After you said sorry-- what was that?”

Naruto looks confused for half a second before his face flushes beet red and his shoulders draw up defensively.

“I said nothing! You didn't hear anything!” He practically squeals. Sasuke laughs, shaking his head and holding his forehead.

“I didn't hear anything,” Sasuke concedes with a cheeky smile. Naruto grumbles something unintelligible under his breath, and pours more water on the rag; when he rings it out, the water comes away pink. He finishes cleaning the gash, lips still pursed with embarrassment, and makes impatient grabby hands for the med kit.

“I can't make pretty stitches like Sakura can, so this is probably gonna scar,” Naruto murmurs, some semblance of control restored. “We should probably pick up some medicine in the next town so that it doesn't get infected.”

“Hm.”

Naruto puts away the suture needle and ties up the med kit, shoving it back in bag. He hadn't even finished turning back before Sasuke took his face between his hands and drew him into a soft kiss. Naruto made a little noise of surprise, but tilted easily into it, hands coming up to rest on the back of Sasuke’s neck.

“Thanks,” Sasuke sighs. “For patching me up.”

Naruto laughs, resting his forehead against Sasuke’s.

“Y’know, I like this new you-- you’re a lot nicer. I feel very appreciated.”

Sasuke clicks his tongue and pushes back into the kiss, ignoring Naruto’s cheeky remark for the time being. It was chaste and sweet, and it felt like cool rush of water on the caustic burns left by Kurama’s words. Like this, it was easier to ignore them, to push it down until he could deal with it later.

Sasuke feels a smile curl at Naruto’s lips and he breaks away, nuzzling into Sasuke’s uninjured cheek.

“You taste like blood.”

“Shut up.”

“Mm, I should set up the tent, shouldn't I?”

“You can do that later.”

“I swear, if you bust your stitches five minutes after I--”

The bushes off the left rustled, twigs crackling, and both boys jump apart, staring at the source of the sound. Sasuke’s fingers inched towards his bag, where his sword was tied, and Naruto’s hands hovered in front of him, ready to form seals.

The bush rustled again, but before Sasuke and Naruto could jump into action--

Miso strolls into the clearing, tail swishing haughtily as if she hadn't just nearly given them a heart attack. She's carrying one of her kittens in her mouth, and wastes no time strutting up to Naruto and lying down so that she's pressed to his thigh.

“Miso! Shit, girl, I nearly just drop kicked you back to town,” he says with a nervous laugh, scratching his fingers around the scruff of her neck. She lays the kitten she had been holding in front of her stomach, and it mewls quietly before wiggling until it finds a teat and starts feeding. Naruto watches, head tilting.

“Hey, that's Egg, isn't it? Why’d you bring him all the way out here?” The last part is mumbled, aimed more at himself than the cat. Sasuke grunts disinterestedly and heaves himself to his feet; he might as well put the damned tent up. Miso is purring up a storm as Naruto lavishes her in attention.

Sasuke is nailing down the last stake when he hears a squalling kitten again. He turns, and then blinks as he watches Miso lay egg carefully in Naruto’s lap and then sit back, tail swishing.

“Uh... what? No, this is your kitty,” he says, carefully picking up the kitten and giving it back to Miso. She picks up the kitten and then lays it back in Naruto’s lap, and then meows loudly.

“She can't take care of him,” Sasuke says shaking out a blanket and tossing it into the tent. “That's the runt, isn't it?”

“I mean, yeah, but--"

“She's trusting you with him. He's not gonna survive if he stays with her, but he might with you. At least, that's what Miso seems to think.”

Naruto’s eyes widen and his gaze flicks between Egg and Miso.

“I don't know how to hand-rear a kitten!” He frets, hands waving. “I'm not ready to be a dad!”

“Don't freak out, you big baby,” Sasuke sighs, shuffling over to Naruto’s side and sitting down heavily. He grabs Naruto’s scarf and winds it around his neck, then picks up Egg, tucking him securely into the folds, close to Naruto’s collarbone. “Itachi used to help strays with kittens. Feed him often and keep him warm, and he should be just fine. If he's not sick, that is.”

Naruto still looks nervous, but Sasuke stiffens when he feels Miso rubbing her head into his side. He glances down, lips pursing.

“Don't get friendly with me. It's your fault for getting knocked up during winter.” Miso purrs loudly, ignoring his sour tone, and nudges her head under his arm, squirming into his lap. Sasuke resists halfheartedly for a moment before sighing and allowing Miso to nestle into his crossed legs.

“You've spoiled her, Naruto,” Sasuke mumbles as he reluctantly scratches under her chin. “This is what happens when you get attached to coons.”

“You're just jealous ‘cause she chose me to be the daddy,” Naruto brags, reaching into his scarf to gently pat Egg. Sasuke makes a face as Miso stretches languidly.

“I am literally the furthest thing from jealous right now. You know baby cats need to have their butts licked for them to poop, right?”

_“What.”_

“Welcome to fatherhood, Naruto.”

“WAIT, NO--”


	4. Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy oh boy y'all, this chapter has been a VERY long time coming. This is pretty much the last part, and I was DETERMINED to not have to bump up the chapter count again so this one is a bit of a monster... almost 20k. Lmao oops. 
> 
> I just wanna say thank you guys so much for following this story and for leaving so many amazing comments. I've had so much fun writing this, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I had kind of lost confidence in my writing, with so many unfinished WIPs sitting in my drive, but this really helped get my mojo back. So again, thank you a BUNCH. 
> 
> I can't believe I've never mentioned this, but if any of you guys have the urge to make some art based off of this, make sure you @ me on tumblr at spud-scribbles! I'd love to see it! And stick it here in the notes for future readers to enjoy.

**1.27.XX**

_I think that you are never going to have the honor or integrity it takes to face those consequences._

It was kind of like clockwork how these thoughts came around. In any moment between one activity and another, Kurama’s voice floats through his head, bitter and burning. It’s almost like carbon monoxide in the way it sneaks in, unnoticed, and only makes itself known as he’s on the floor, struggling to function.

_I think you are unworthy of someone like Naruto._

Sasuke didn't know what bothered him more-- Kurama’s presumptuous attitude or the fact that everything he said had a ring of truth to it. Or maybe it was the fact that some bitter voice in the back of his head agreed wholeheartedly, plaguing him from every angle and turning his thoughts from a safe space to a death trap.

As of the moment, he was at a loss at figuring out how to make his words _matter_ less; his best idea so far was to just ignore them and hope they fade--

_“Sasuke!”_

He blinks and glances up, catching a faceful of Annoyed Naruto from where he stood, fists propped on his hips.

“What?”

“I was _trying_ to ask your opinion of this. Stop getting distracted with my cat.”

Sasuke purses his lips and disentangles Egg’s claws from his hoodie for the fourth time in ten minutes. He gives Naruto’s outfit an appreciative once-over, the man in question holding his arms out and twisting a little to give Sasuke the Full Experience. He’s wearing a muted orange vest over a black long sleeve, with a pair of slim black pants.

“It looks good. Lose the sandals though,” he says. Naruto looks down at his worn sandals, toes wiggling.

“What’s wrong with ‘em?”

“They're gross. You need new ones. You need a new _everything_ because you waited so damned long.”

Naruto rubs his nose, miffed.

“Pervy Sage had my stuff specially tailored, so _pardon me_ for valuing them.” Sasuke snorts, using the strings on his hoodie as a tassel for Egg to play with from where he sprawls in Sasuke’s lap. He’s barely two weeks old, but he’s nearly the length of Sasuke’s forearm when he stretches out, with smokey gray and white fur. Despite being the runt, Naruto’s attentive, consistent care has assured that he’s turning into one spunky kitten.

“There’s a difference between valuing something and running it into the dirt. Which is what you’ve done.” Naruto sticks his nose in the air and turns, flicking the curtain to the changing room he’d been using for the past half hour.

“Here, stick this in the pile.” The vest, shirt, and pants come flying over the top of the curtain, and Sasuke catches it, depositing it in their ‘yes’ pile; along with the previous outfit, it also contained a couple of mesh armor shirts, another pair of pants-- capris this time, and a couple of shirts. It was mostly muted blacks, grays, and reds, but Naruto had argued fiercely for his trademark orange, and so a bright scarf and a single shirt stick out amongst them.

It had taken a good deal of wandering around before they had found a town big enough to have a store with shinobi-grade clothing. That had meant wandering into the heart of the Land of Earth, through villages and towns in search of a place that would fit their needs, and inevitably leaving a trail in the memories of the people they came in contact with. With the population increase came a prickling paranoia Sasuke had gotten used to not having to deal with, and it’s not putting him in the best of moods. Naruto’s blue eyes, telltale whisker marks, and _blisteringly_ orange outfits drew eyes towards them; they’d been able to avoid a scene so far, but they weren’t going to keep that up if Naruto kept insisting on looking like a hobo.

“Oh hey, I like this one.”

Sasuke looks up and watches as Naruto steps out from behind the curtain, zipping up the jacket he had pulled over his shoulders. He raises his eyebrows, awaiting approval. It looks good on him-- _really_ good, actually. It’s completely black but for the right sleeve, the stitching, and the inner fabric of the hood, which are all a deep orange.

“It’s very... you,” Sasuke says with a crooked smile. Naruto crosses his arms, frowning.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You look good. Go take it off so we can buy it.”

Naruto’s frown melts away into a sheepish grin as he rubs the back of his head. He mumbles something that Sasuke doesn’t quite catch and ducks back into the changing room for the last time. Sasuke picks up Egg by the scruff of his neck and sets him on his shoulder before standing and stretching his back. With clothes shopping done, all that was left was to find somewhere to get a haircut, and to restock their little supply of herbs and spices. Then they could book it, and honestly, the sooner the better.

When he finally leaves the changing room, Naruto tosses the last jacket onto their pile and scoops it up, heading over to the counter on the other side of the shop. The owner of the shop, a handsome middle aged man with dark skin and salt and pepper hair, puts down the novel he’d been reading and smiles politely at the pair of them.

“Found everything you need?” He says as he goes through the clothing, tallying up the total.

“Yeah, just about. Do you know a good barber around here, by any chance?” Sasuke asks as he pulls out his pouch of money. The man taps his chin, eyes rolling up to the ceiling thoughtfully.

“Eikki’s is a good place-- that’s where my husband gets his hair done, and I like it just fine. Would you like the address?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

He finishes adding up their total, and writes the address down on the back of one of the tags from Naruto’s new clothing, along with a very tiny map. Sasuke hands Egg off to Naruto as he counts out wrinkled bills and coins, and Naruto easily busies himself with gushing over the kitten, cradling him in his arms like a baby.

“You can make poopies all on your own now, can’t you?” He baby talks quietly, _almost_ out of earshot, but not quite. The shop owner muffles a laugh as he counts the money to make sure everything’s in order, and Sasuke feels his ears burn.

“That’s a cute cat you have there,” he comments breezily, taking it in stride at the very least. “I’ve never seen a breed like that around here.”

“We’re from... further east,” Sasuke mutters vaguely. The owner neatly folds up the clothes with practiced ease and slides them into paper bags with a little chuckle.

“I see. Land of Fire, I assume?”

“Yes.”

“So, Konoha, yes?”

Sasuke narrows his eyes a little, but the owner keeps folding clothes, completely unruffled.

“Why does it matter?” He says tightly. The owner shrugs a little, punching a button on his clunky register and popping the cash drawer open.

“No reason, I suppose-- just curious. At first I thought, wow, Konoha’s Hero can’t be _all the way_ out here, but life surprises you in the funniest ways, doesn’t it?” The owner smiles brightly, but Sasuke’s brows furrow, shoulders tensing.

“Listen, we’re not--” The owner waves his hand dismissively, shoving the two paper bags to the edge of the counter.

“I’m not gonna go shouting your names from the rooftop or anything. I wanted to thank your friend over there, but he seems pretty tied up right now.” Sasuke glances over his shoulder, watching as Naruto hisses _“ow ow ow ow!”_ as he tries to extract his hand from Egg’s razored death grip. He turns back to the owner and grabs his two bags, the tension easing somewhat.

“Thank him for what?”

“My husband fought in the war, in the fourth division. By some miracle, he came home alive, and I think I have him partially to thank for. Though he’s not quite what I’ve expected.” He laughs a little and his eyes fall over Sasuke’s shoulder, watching Naruto finally pry his hand free and proceed to scold Egg, who looks like he could not give _less_ of a shit. Sasuke sighs and tosses a few extra ryo coins on the counter.

“I’ll relay the message. Thanks for keeping quiet.”

“No problem. Enjoy your new clothes!”

“Hm.”

Sasuke turns and taps Naruto’s shoulder as he heads out the door and back out onto the street. The shop was located in a crowded, kinda dirty part of town, but that wasn’t really saying much. The entire city seemed dirty and crowded, crammed into the valley between two rocky plateaus. It wasn’t that late in the evening, but the sun was already dipping behind the peaks, throwing everything into shadow.

“What’s next on the list?” Naruto asks as he settles Egg into his usual spot in his scarf.

“Barbershop,” Sasuke says bluntly. Naruto grumbles and runs a hand through his unkempt hair.

“Do we really--?”

“ _Yes,_ you’re starting to look like a caveman,” Sasuke cuts in impatiently. He looks down at the tiny map the shop owner had scribbled for him and abruptly takes a turn down another street, walking briskly. Naruto nearly trips trying to keep up, and complains loudly as he does so.

“Geez, what’s got you so snippy?”

“I don’t like being in big cities-- you know this. And would you _please_ keep your voice down?” He hisses. Naruto’s lip purse irritably, but he falls silent and sticks close to Sasuke’s side as they make their way through the labyrinth of streets. Normally, lots of people wouldn’t be too much of a bother: more faces meant more room to blend in. But this was a _shinobi_ village, no matter how small and run down it seemed, and if that shop owner was anything to go by, it was probably full of war veterans. And Sasuke really wasn’t in the right headspace right now to be recognized.

The tiny map proved accurate and faithful, and they came across Eikki’s barbershop without much trouble. The only trouble came when Naruto pushed open the door with a ding, and the older of the two barbers inside nearly had a conniption.

“No animals! The cat stays outside!”

Naruto makes a face and plucks Egg from his scarf with some difficulty and hands him over to Sasuke.

“Do you mind?”

“No,” Sasuke says, with a twist on his tone that makes it clear that he really kinda does mind, actually. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

The barber relaxes significantly once he sees that the cat will not be staying, and he ushers Naruto over to a chair with a big smile. He’s already striking up a conversation, and Sasuke figures now is about the time to see himself out.

He gives Egg a disapproving frown from where he’s cradled in Sasuke’s elbow as he leans against the brick wall outside of the barbershop.

“You’re more trouble that you’re worth, you know,” he says. Egg tilts his head, gold eyes blinking slowly. Then, unprompted, he starts purring, and _loudly._ Sasuke rolls his eyes and acquiesces, using two fingers to rub the top of his head softly.

“You take after your mom.”

Egg proves to be ample entertainment for the half hour or so it takes for Naruto to get his haircut. It’s a challenge, keeping his hands from falling into the trap of Egg’s razor-sharp claws, but he turns it into a small game-- see how many belly rubs he can get in before Egg tries to take the flesh off his finger. Sasuke’s head lifts when he hears the door chime open, and has to blink _twice_ to adjust to the sight.

Because Naruto Uzumaki now has an undercut.

He’s rubbing the back of his neck with an indescribable look on his face, his cheeks flushed a little.

“I just said I wanted a trim, but he kinda just did whatever. It doesn’t look bad, does it?” He says hesitantly. Sasuke puts Egg on his shoulder so that he can reach forward and scratch his fingers through the freshly shaved hair on the back of Naruto’s head. He leans into the touch, not unlike how Egg begs for pats.

“I like it. Very much,” he says bluntly. Naruto blinks, and gives a bemused grin.

“That’s a little gay of you.”

“And? That’s the point, dipshit.”

Naruto laughs and leans his head into Sasuke’s hands affectionately.

“I gotta admit, this feels nice. Fresh, y’know?”

“Sure.”

“Aren’t you gonna get your haircut?”

“No.”

“What?! You hair’s even longer than mine, that’s not fair!”

“Well, mine doesn’t look like I stuck my finger in a light socket.” To prove his point, he pulls a clip from his pocket, pushes his hair back, twists it up and uses a small rush of chakra to make it stick in place so that he can slide the clip in place. He drops his hand and raises an eyebrow.

“... Damn you,” is all Naruto mutters. Sasuke allows himself a small, satisfied smile, picks Egg up off his shoulder before he could attack the earlobe he’d been eyeing up, and hands him back to Naruto. He takes him, and tilts his head a little as he keeps staring at Sasuke.

“If you’re gonna pull your hair back like that, you might want to... um...” Naruto points at his own eye nervously. “Your eye, y’know.” Sasuke blinks and touches the area underneath his left eye-- he had nearly forgotten about his Entire Rinnegan. It had been awhile since he’d been able to take a look in the mirror.

“Right.”

He closes his eyes and pulls a bubble of chakra to his head, blinking open once it settles into place.

“Better?”

“Yeah. It’s weird though: I’ve already gotten so used to your wonky eye.”

“Shut it,” he mutters, running his fingers through the hair feathering around the back of his neck and glancing away. “Now that that’s done, should we find somewhere to stay? It’s gonna be dark soon.” Naruto nods distractedly, his attention mostly focused on bunching his scarf so that Egg can comfortably tuck himself under his chin.

“Mhm. I haven’t really seen any inns though, so we’ll probably have to search around a bit.”

“Sure.”

Splitting up probably would have gotten the job done faster, but then that meant that Naruto wouldn’t have been able to loop his arm through Sasuke’s and chatter quietly as they strolled. He was still working on the whole “simple pleasures” thing.

The muddy streets squelched beneath their shoes, and the lighting was sparse at best, mostly pouring from the windows of shops and apartments. There were street lights, but they were few and far between, and some of them didn't even light up. Paper street food wrappings, bottles, and other miscellaneous pieces of trash lie crushed in the mud, and it’s a challenge to go ten feet without seeing a graffiti tag. The air still buzzed with voices, but they had a hushed tone to them, as if everyone were trying their hardest to get to themselves and avoid attention.

“This reminds me of the eastern district of Konoha before Nagato trashed it,” Naruto murmurs as his eyes flick here and there over every building, every cluster of citizens. “Dark and dirty, y’know? There was this one alley that everyone loved to paint on. That one was kinda cool, actually. I always used to draw the old Hokage with big butts and crossed eyes.” Naruto laughs and Sasuke glances around, but nothing strikes him as familiar.

“I don’t think I ever went to that part of the village,” he admits. Naruto shrugs a little.

“Eh, doesn't surprise me. The Uchiha compound was on the opposite side of the village. With all the other rich clan compounds.” Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what it means? All the rich clans were kinda clustered in the northeast part of the village, and the ghettos were all close to the walls. C’mon, smartest guy in the academy and you never noticed that?” Naruto grins and elbows Sasuke lightheartedly, but the latter remains unsettled. The rib wasn't intended to sting, but it did-- Sasuke prided himself on being observant, but he'd never bothered to look closer at the layout of the village, his own _home._

“ _No_ , I didn’t,” he snaps, irritated. Naruto blinks, and then laughs a little nervously.

“Hey, it’s not a big deal. It’s not like there was some hobo walking around, banging pans together and yelling ‘YOU’VE got privilege and YOU’VE got privilege!’ Plus, you were like twelve when you left. Not exactly the most socially aware age. And you also had your whole _avenger_ thing going on. So seriously, don’t beat yourself--”

“Stay away from my _fucking_ sister you snivelling shit!”

A shout draws both Sasuke and Naruto’s attention to the entrance of tall, lopsided building. A figure goes stumbling through the cuts of fabric that pass for a door and crashes into the mud, face-first. Three more men follow him out, all looking equally capable of chucking a whole person a good ten feet.

The head of the group, a younger guy with a gangly arms decorated with tattoos, kicks a pile of mud over the figure in the dirt.

“You ain’t even fit to look in her direction-- if I catch you comin’ around here again, I’ll rip your fucking legs off, got it?”

Sasuke glances over at Naruto.

“You’re gonna do it, aren’t you.”

“Yeah, sorry,” he says, not sounding sorry at all. He cups his hands around his mouth like a horn and shouts, “hey! If I beat you guys at rock-paper-scissors, will you leave him alone?”

Of course that’s the direction he would choose. Sasuke slinks back and away from Naruto, preferring not to get caught up in a mess. The three men turn towards him, but the aggression has somewhat faded, mostly replaced with confusion. Of course. They don't say anything, so Naruto jumps back in, gesturing with his hands.

“Rock-paper-scissors. You know, where you go like this with your hands--”

“I _know_ what rock-paper-scissors is, you moron. Piss off, this has nothing to do with you.”

“You could pet my cat if you want? His name is Egg. He’s very small though, so you have to be gentle,” he persists. He treks over to the group, and nudges his scarf and Egg pokes his head out with a quiet _‘mrrp.’_ The three guys exchange a look, muttering something, and Sasuke can guess that it’s probably something along the lines of, _“who let this looney out of the asylum?”_

The tattooed guy looks Naruto up and down, a disgusted sneer contorting his expression. Without warning, he puffs his chest and spits directly in Naruto’s face. Faster than he could keep track off, Sasuke’s throat closes with fury, and it was only Naruto’s complete lack of reaction that kept him from cutting the guy’s tongue out _right there._ But there was obviously some kind of point to this, so he bites down his anger, and stays back in the shadows and waits.

“I don’t give a shit about your fucking cat. Your kind aren’t welcome near my family, or in my neighborhood.”

“Step off, or you’ll regret it,” one of the lackeys in the back chimes in. All of them aim a nasty look at Naruto and the figure in the mud both, and then shuffle off, back into the building. It’s only then that Sasuke approaches from behind, rounding his side so that he can get a look at his face. Naruto wipes the spit off his face with a grimace.

“That was disgusting. I think he chews tobacco,” he mutters.

“I could cut out his salivary glands so that his teeth fall out,” he offers. Naruto laughs and wipes his hand on his pants.

“Relax, it’s not the first time I’ve been spit on.”

“You didn’t have to step in,” a new voice pipes up. Sasuke looks down, at the kid he might have forgotten about-- a scrawny looking, brown-skinned boy with a small gap in his front teeth. Naruto laughs good naturedly and offers a hand to the kid, yanking him to his feet.

“No, I wanted to. Are you okay? That guy seems like a real charmer.”

The kid shrugs and turns, eyes flicking over the ground until he finds a pair of cracked glasses in the mud. He sighs and picks them up, watching as one of the lenses falls out.

“That’s Masuda. He’s uh... difficult. To get along with. Especially if you’re like me.”

Sasuke and Naruto meet eyes, briefly.

“Like you?”

“You know... shinobi. You’re one too, right?” He asks, sticking his broken glasses in his pocket. “I mean, I don’t really see a lot of people carrying around swords unless they like to use them.” He smiles crookedly as meets Sasuke’s eyes, wiping his hands off on his pants without much success. He doesn’t seem particularly concerned with the fact that he’s covered nearly head to foot in mud. Naruto chuckles a little and rubs the back of his neck.

“Ah, something like that. We’re kind of taking a hiatus for the moment-- what’s that guy got against ninja anyways?”

“His parents were shinobi. They died a couple years ago on a mission together; he’s convinced they’re all bad luck now.” He shrugs. “It’s whatever. Um... I’m Iwamoto, by the way. I’d shake your hand, but I don’t want to get mud all over you.”

Of course, Naruto sticks his hand out anyways.

“I’m Naruto, this is Sasuke. He’s not mad at you, his face is just like that.”

“Knock it off.”

Iwamoto laughs a little as he shakes Naruto’s hands.

“Nice to meet you. Sorry you got spit on.”

“Sometimes things just happen.”

Sasuke shifts his weight uncomfortably, wishing faintly that they could just be done with the conversation so that they could find a place to stay. Now that the sun was gone, the temperature was dropping rapidly and he wants to be out of this town as soon as possible. But curse Naruto’s extrovert leanings, it looks like he’s already made a friend. Iwamoto glances at him and it's enough to make him tune back into the conversation.

“If you don’t have anywhere to stay, there’s an extra room in our apartment you can use for the night.”

“Really? Dude, we’d appreciate that so much!” Naruto turns and looks at Sasuke with those damned puppy eyes. “Is that alright with you?”

“Whatever you want.”

He just wanted to get out of his travel clothes and into a bed with Naruto beside him. His mental energy for Caring About Things was running low, and that’s generally when he made poor decisions.

Naruto strikes up vibrant conversation with Iwamoto as he begins to lead the pair down the street. Sasuke trails a few feet behind them, listening to the conversation with half an ear, barely.

What Naruto said earlier still bothers him: _all the rich clans were kinda clustered in the northeast part of the village, and the ghettos were all close to the walls._ There was no way any of that could have been an accident. Of course Konoha’s leaders wanted to keep the dirty parts and the clean parts separate, while doing absolutely nothing to mend the gap.

But why did that even surprise him? It’s not like Konoha’s government never did _anything_ to mend gaps. They got rid of the smears on their pristine reputation, no matter the cost. They couldn't afford to look _weak_ or _disorganized_ to the other villages-- god forbid a visiting ambassador noticed the citizens they left in the fucking dirt.

An old resentment stirs in his gut at the thought. It’s been awhile since its reared its ugly head; traveling in small, pleasant towns and wasting the days with Naruto in the placid stillness of nature has done much in terms of taming it, but things like this-- things like _Naruto_ made it difficult to stay himself.

Contrary to popular belief, when Sasuke loved, he loved _deeply._ No matter how much he tore at himself, no matter how desperately he wanted to dig that part out, he’s reminded of it viciously when his bones ache with the weight of his loss; he’s reminded when blind fury wipes out his reason; he’s reminded every time he thinks of his brother, of Sakura, of Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu, of _Naruto_ and the countries he would burn to keep them safe.

He’s reminded when he thinks about all the times he’s failed to do so.

Unbidden and unwanted, Kurama echoes in his head again-- criticizing his honor, his integrity, his loyalty. Bitterly, he thinks that Kurama is wrong in at least one respect-- if there’s one thing he’s _always_ been loyal to, it’s what he thought was right. Killing Itachi had been his idea of reclaiming honor for the Uchiha, destroying Konoha to prevent tragedies like that from happening again, killing the Kage to destroy a corrupt system that seemed to cause nothing but anguish and suffering.

But no, he was supposed to just have faith-- have _hope_ that things would turn out better this time. He was supposed the leave the future in the hands of the _exact same people_ that had ruined it the first time.

He didn't know whether he wanted to run from it or burn it to the ground.

Sasuke’s eye catches on the side of a building, a familiar symbol drawing his attention. His footsteps pause, and then turn, approaching the graffiti in a dazed sort of state.

Scrawled across the wall in angry, hurried letters: _No alliance! The Land of Earth stands alone!_ Around it, the kanji of each of the surrounding countries has been scrawled and crossed out. Additions, painted in different hands, surround it-- _fuck the shinobi alliance! Blood on their hands!_

One of them, smaller than the rest, sticks out near the bottom.

_The real enemies have always been here._

Sasuke finds himself agreeing.

“Hey, Sasuke!”

He flinches, and turns to find Naruto and Iwamoto several paces ahead, waving at him impatiently. Sasuke tosses one last look at the graffiti before jogging a couple steps to catch up. Naruto head tilts just slightly, a concerned look pinching his brows, but there must have been something about Sasuke’s face that convinces him to stay quiet for the time being.

The rest of the walk is uneventful, and Iwamoto stops them in front of a cozy looking book shop.

“Our apartment is on top of the shop. The entrance is around the side.”

Iwamoto rounds the building and pulls out a set of keys, unlocking a rickety wooden door and shoving it open. It reveals a cramped entryway and a set of dingy stairs that lead up to the right.

“Watch your step-- the light went out and I haven’t gotten around to fixing it.”

He leads them up, unlocks another door and pushes it open to a warm, cozy living room. An old fashioned chandelier lights the place up in coral and gold, draping softly over hickory flooring and cherrywood furniture. The living room boasts several mismatched loveseats and recliners, all arranged in a loose sort of circle that tells of a family used to having visitors. The layout is L-shaped and open, the living room, dining room, and kitchen all kind of blending together.

More noticeably, an older woman labors over a pot on the stove, which is the source of the absolutely _amazing_ smell filling the space. She turns around and blinks a couple times as the three of them shuffle through the door. She's short and stocky, with dark skin only marred by a splotchy white scar that pokes out of the collar of her sweater.

“Iwa! You’re absolutely filthy!” She chastises. “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t get in a fight with Masuda again, I’m too old for this. And why didn’t you tell me we were having guests? This place is a mess!”

Sasuke glances around-- the only visible signs of any sort of disorder where a couple of shirts are draped over the back of the couch and a glass of water sitting on the coffee table.

She looks about ready to wring Iwamoto’s ear, but he grins sheepishly and holds his hands up placatingly.

“Sorry Granny Kudou, I’ll get cleaned up right away. Also, this is Naruto and Sasuke-- and I _didn’t_ get into a fight with Masuda because they stepped in. They just need a place to stay for the night.”

Granny Kudou gives both Naruto and Sasuke a severe look, and upon passing her silent test, pushes her glasses further up on her nose and turns back to her pot.

“Well, you’re lucky I was making extras for the Kazumi family anyways. All you boys go get washed up, I’m just about done here.”

Sasuke elbows Naruto, and both of them dip into a polite bow.

“Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am,” Sasuke says softly. Granny Kudou sniffs and waves her wooden spoon about irritably.

“I’d be happier if you didn’t track dirt through my house. Now git!”

Iwamoto beats it hastily to the far end of the apartment, where a couple of hallway lined with a few doors leads off to. Naruto and Sasuke hurriedly shuck their muddy shoes and push them neatly to the side before following after Iwa. He points to the door at the end.

“That’s where you two can stay. Granny doesn't have a problem with cats, just make sure he stays in the room. There’s a bathroom in there, but only one bed-- ah, sorry about that.” He flushes a little and puts his hand on another door, presumably the bathroom. Naruto grins cheekily and wraps his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Iwamoto stares for a full three seconds before the realization clicks.

“Oh! That’s-- good. I’m gonna go shower now.”

He flees into the bathroom, and Naruto chuckles, way too satisfied with himself. Sasuke gives him a stink eye.

“You’re terrible.”

“I know!”

The bedroom is small and sparsely furnished-- it has the stagnant air about it that suggests that it’s rarely even entered, let alone used, but it’s clean. The bed is pushed up against the left wall, and a single small window lies directly across from them, letting in the last of the yellow light from the streetlights. Naruto pulls a sleepy Egg from his scarf and sets him the floor. He immediately stretches out, yawns, and claws his way up the blankets and onto the mattress.

“Dibs on the shower first!” Naruto blurts.

Before Sasuke can even complain, Naruto darts into the bathroom and slams the door behind him, the hiss of running water following soon after. Sasuke sighs and slowly, wearily peels off his travelling layers. The cloak goes first, then the weapons holster on his thigh, and then the sword strapped to his back. He sets them next to his bag and then drops down onto the bed. He peels off his socks, and inspects the holes wearing into them. Maybe he should have picked up a new pair from that shop they'd been at earlier...

He gets down to just his pants before Naruto bursts from the bathroom, his cheeks flushed pink from the steam, his fresh new clothes on him.

“Whew! I _really_ feel like a new man now!” He sighs happily. Sasuke hums, but doesn't give much more than that before closing himself in the bathroom. It's tiny, just barely enough room for a sink, toilet, and shower stall. But it's enough, so he strips, turns on the water, and steps in. Naruto, that ass, used all the hot water and the best he got was lukewarm and it went downhill from there. Still though, even after he finished scrubbing his hair and body, he lingered under the cool stream, resting his head against the wall. He takes a couple of breaths, rubs his eyes, massages the back of his neck.

Ugly thoughts still clattered in his brain, but they were being offered a room and a meal free of charge-- he needed to be grateful. It wasn't fair to Iwamoto or Granny Kudou if he came out to dinner with a storm cloud over his head. He sucks in a breath, holds it for a count of ten, and lets it out slowly. He only had to be nice for another half hour at most. He could do this.

He turns off the water, dries off, and finger combs his hair back off his forehead. That's about the best he can do right now, and he reconsiders his decision to avoid a haircut. It's not like his hair has ever been difficult to tame, but with one arm, things get annoying. He inspects the healing wound on the side of his face too; Naruto had carefully pulled the stitches out just a few days ago, and it was starting to scab up neatly, no signs of infection to be seen. Naruto had been been right though-- it was going to leave a wicked scar. He makes sure his small transformation is firmly in place, making both eyes look dark and plain.

Reluctantly satisfied with his appearance, he gets dressed, and when he leaves the bathroom, Naruto is already gone. Egg is still sleeping peacefully on the mattress, sprawled out in the perfect position and angle to take up the most amount of space on the bed. Naruto’s voice echoes from the kitchen, a boisterous laugh that lights up the apartment, even from the other side of it. There's a part of Sasuke that's mildly jealous of him; jealous of his ability to just _connect_ with everybody he meets, to fill a room with warmth and light and turn strangers into family.

On the other hand, though, being around people that much sounded exhausting. Naruto was the people person and Sasuke was not. His talents lie elsewhere.

He leaves the bedroom and walks into the meshed dining room/kitchen area, where Naruto is helping Iwamoto set the table. Granny Kudou dons a pair of oven mitts and hoists the large pot, which is absolutely impressive considering she could not possibly be more than five-foot, and carries it over to the table. She looks up, straight at Sasuke, and gestures him over with sharp movements.

“Come over here, you can help me cut the bread,” she says. It's not like he could argue, so he shuffles over and takes the baguette that she offers him, and pulls a bread knife from the block on the counter.

“Make sure you cut them diagonally,” she says. Sasuke hums in acknowledgement, but Granny Kudou mocks the sound, higher and more nasally.

“Speak up, child, I don't speak mumble-- say yes or no ma’am,” she scolds. Naruto muffles a snigger from behind him and Sasuke scowls and quickly cuts the bread with expert speed.

“Yes ma’am,” he says quietly.

“Better. Now look at that-- I’d say you’re better at this then I am, and I've got both hands. Here, take these to the table.” She dumps the bread she cut up into a bowl, and gathers up Sasuke’s portion as well. He carries the bowl over to the table and takes a seat along with the other two guys in the room. Granny Kudou scoops the soup into each bowl and finally takes a seat herself.

“Thank you for the meal!” Iwamoto, Naruto, and Sasuke say in unison, and pick up their chopsticks.

The soup is delicious. It tastes like a mix of seafood and duck, with a kick to it that pleases Sasuke immensely. Naruto fans his mouth, whining _“hot, hot!”_ and that pulls a laugh from Iwamoto and Granny.

“So, where are you boys from?” Granny says, grabbing a piece of bread and using her chopsticks to drench it in broth.

“Konoha,” Naruto says bluntly. Sasuke nearly chokes on a piece of oyster and aims a sharp look at Naruto. They were supposed to be _laying low,_ not just telling every amiable stranger that they're--

“Konoha, huh? I visited there once, years and years ago. Is it doing alright, in the aftermath of this mess?” She waves her chopsticks around, and the fourth war doesn't really need to be mentioned.

“Well, it got flattened once, but we're doing alright, I'd say. We haven't actually been back there in a few months. We left like... oh, I dunno, last July?”

“June,” Sasuke corrects. “June twenty-eighth.”

“So almost July,” Naruto says with a snicker. Sasuke rolls his eyes and carefully raises a cube of meat to his lips.

“If you want to be right.”

“I'm always right.”

Sasuke sighs and lets it go, but a small smile pulls at his lips. Iwamoto clicks his chopsticks a little and looks between the pair of them, his nose twitching thoughtfully.

“Ah, I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you two a... couple?” He gestures, kind of unnecessarily, between them. For the first time that night, Naruto looks a little lost for words, and he eyes Sasuke.

“Yyyyes...?” He says slowly, as if he's afraid that Sasuke will try to kick him if he admits that they're... dating.

He blinks.

That's a thought-- Naruto Uzumaki, his _boyfriend_. The word seems so trivial considering the things they had been through and how deeply their bond ran, but that's what it was, he supposed. Trivial it might have been, but Sasuke’s face still prickles with a juvenile warmth.

“It's kind of a new thing, actually,” Naruto continues, satisfied with Sasuke’s apathy. “Being romantic, I mean.”

“Hogwash,” Granny Kudou cuts in suddenly. Iwamoto’s eyes widen and he aims a scandalized look at her.

“Granny!”

“What? You two act like you've been married for a decade. ‘New thing’ my foot,” she says snippily. Iwamoto sighs and puts his face in his hands.

“I'm sorry, my grandma is senile-- OW!”

Granny Kudou kicks him under the table, jabbing her chopsticks at him.

“Boy, I'm more sane than you've ever been! Especially not since you've been chasing that damned Fuyumi girl!” She snaps. Iwamoto reaches down to rub at his ankle, scowling, but Naruto hops on the new conversation topic with glee.

“Ooh, who’s _Fuyumi?”_ He says, grinning slyly.

“Masuda’s sister,” Iwamoto grunts, straightening up and picking his chopsticks up again. “You might've heard him yelling about her when I was thrown out of their restaurant.” Naruto taps his chin thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I remember something like that.”

Sasuke quietly finishes off a few slices of bread and the rest of his soup, listening as Iwamoto told the tale of the beautiful, kind, fierce Fuyumi. Granny Kudou supplements the story with comments about Iwamoto’s habits of getting the daylight knocked out of him, complete with a fresh scolding about breaking his glasses. Naruto laughs, a full bellied sound that makes him lean back in his chair, and it's infectious-- even Sasuke covers his mouth to hide a few chuckles.

“Why don't you just date her behind his back?” Naruto says after a moment, wiping his eyes. “That seems like the best course of action.”

Iwamoto’s eyes get a determined glint to them, his fists clenching around his chopsticks.

“No, I'm gonna do it right and get her whole family’s approval. I want to make her my wife, and I don't want that to be at the cost of her family,” he says intensely. Naruto blinks and his face lights up.

“That's cool as hell--!”

“Watch your language,” Granny Kudou says. Naruto winces.

“Sorry, sorry. Cool as heck?” Kudou grunts and rips a chunk of bread with her teeth. “Neat!” Naruto turns his attention back to Iwamoto.

“I think that with that kind of determination, you're bound to get your girl in no time,” Naruto says. “Train and fight, make yourself stronger! Make it so that you can support Fuyumi _and_ protect her. And then! Challenge that Masuda to a fight! If you beat him, he _has_ to let you marry her!”

To his surprise, Iwamoto shakes his head.

“I don't want to _own_ her or anything like that. Fuyumi isn't just something to be fought over, she's a _goddess,_ she's ethereal in a way I can't even describe.” He throws himself back in his chair, slumping and staring at the ceiling with a dreamy smile on his face. “She's so amazing-- I want her to _choose me,_ not just be stuck with me.”

Naruto looks absolutely floored. He clenches his fist in front of him, eyes screwed shut like he's going to cry.

“That's so badass,” he whispers.

“Language!”

Naruto slaps a hand over his mouth, grinning sheepishly, but Granny Kudou only shakes her head, sighing deeply.

“Every time I have to hang around teenaged boys, I lose a year off my life,” she says, rubbing her forehead and looking up at the ceiling. Iwamoto reaches over and pats her hand sympathetically.

“But we appreciate you very much, Granny.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Before I forget, you two--" she points at Naruto and Sasuke, “I'm sure it's been ages since your clothes have seen a wash. Leave them all outside your door and I'll clean them before you leave.” Naruto and Sasuke went to protest at the same time.

“You don't have to--"

“We’re already taking up so much--" Naruto falls silent and Sasuke takes that as his hint that it's his turn to try being social.

“If you show us where the washing machines are, we can do it ourselves,” he offers. Granny Kudou shakes her head and picks up her bowl so that she can drink the rest of the broth from it.

“No, our machines are finicky old things; you're just as likely to ruin your clothes as you are to get them clean. Quit arguing and just do as I say.” Sasuke ducks his head and pokes at his food.

“Yes ma’am,” he and Naruto say in sync.

Dinner trickles off and Sasuke excuses himself first, stating something about using the bathroom. He makes sure to take his bowl to the sink before absconding back to their borrowed room.

Despite his dread at having to deal with People, he doesn't feel as drained as he thought he would; the food was good, and the company was surprisingly tolerable. Things seem a little easier to wrap his head around when there's food in his stomach and a bed five feet away.  He lets out a sigh, but instead of collapsing onto the mattress, he crosses to the small window and tugs it open a crack, letting in a cold breeze that washes pleasantly over his face. It's the perfect height to be able to rest his arm on the sill and he listens to the sounds of a town that’s settling down for sleep. Voices trickle up, some in languages he knows, some in ones he doesn't. A dog barks somewhere, and a garbage bag falls noisily into a dumpster.

He turns his head at the sound of an insistent meow from from behind. Egg is hovering at the edge of the bed, inspecting the drop with suspicion, pacing back and forth impatiently. Sasuke raises an eyebrow, amused.

“I'm not picking you up,” he says. Egg ignores him, wiggles his butt, and takes a small leap off the bed. He lands ungracefully on the floor with a chirp and then happily trots up to Sasuke’s legs, headbutting him insistently. He huffs and relents, bending down to scoop Egg up and set him on the window sill.

“Little attention seeker.”

Egg licks his nose with his sandpaper tongue and Sasuke cracks a tired smile. Out of all Naruto’s impulse decisions, he had to admit, Egg was by far his favorite result.

He'd never admit it out loud though.

Egg’s loud purring starts up and he spends several seconds turning in circles before he settles down with his head tucked in Sasuke’s elbow. Egg is a good distraction; he lays claim to enough of his attention that when he delves into his thoughts this time, it doesn't feel like his skull is caving in.

A few minutes later, the door creaks open and shuts. Sasuke turns and watches as Naruto leans against the door, sagging with exhaustion.

“Man, I'm beat,” he groans. Sasuke grunts in affirmation and turns to look back out the window. Naruto pushes himself off the door and sits down heavily on the bed. A silence falls over the room as he strips off his shirt and tosses it on the floor. The words in Sasuke’s head get loud and he decides, impulsively, _it's now or never._

“What if...” He starts slowly. He stares down at Egg but he isn’t really _seeing,_ his focus split in too many directions. There's a shift on the mattress, so he knows Naruto’s listening. Sasuke runs a thumb through Egg’s fur contemplatively contemplatively.

“What if I said I didn't want to go back.”

The silence turns icy-- jagged and pressing, as if one wrong move could gore them open. Naruto doesn't answer for a long time. He doesn't move, barely even makes a sound.

“That's not a very funny joke,” he says eventually.

“Good, because I'm not joking.”

“Sasuke, _please...”_

He shifts out from under Egg and turns around, unable to resist. Naruto’s rubbing his eyes and it feels like in the few seconds he's had his back turned, he’s aged ten years. He puts his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

“Please do not do this to me,” he says quietly. _“Please.”_

Sasuke’s chest burns with guilt, but the feelings don't reach his mouth, don't spill out in an _“I'm sorry"_ or _“I take it back.”_ They clog up in the base of his throat, his anger, his grief pulling him apart.

“You could go back. I'll always be somewhere you can find me, but I don't... I _can't_ live there again.”

“I _know_ I can go back Sasuke-- it’s not like you'd be able to stop me,” he bites, head snapping up. Sasuke feels that if they weren't in the guest bedroom of another person’s house, he'd be shouting. However, he could could've said those words at any volume and they still would've hurt. “But I don't _want_ to go back without you. You're my _other half,_ I'm not a fraction of the man I am with you around.”

“You're _twice_ the man I will _ever_ be,” Sasuke spits, his heart twisting violently at the notion that Naruto could have ever possibly been less than wholeheartedly _him_. “But I can't live in that village. I can't live with the people who took _everything_ from me. I can't just sit back and wait for everything to fall apart again. You told me back then that my method wasn't the solution-- that people needed to come to the decision themselves. And they are! They're coming to the same god damned decision that they've ever made: isolation and distrust and violence.”

“It's not going to be like that this time, you just have to--!”

“I _can’t_ Naruto!” This one comes out loud, and it startles Egg awake. “I can't just _hope_ , I can't just be optimistic. I'm not _like_ you and I will _never_ be like you! I'm-- I'm fucked up all the way through.” His voice cracks and his eyes water and burn. He lowers his head, because _fuck,_ he can't even look Naruto in the eyes. Naruto, who had never given up on him, who’d never even _wavered_ despite Sasuke giving him every reason to. The same person he’s hurting right now, because in spite of _all_ the effort Naruto has poured into him, there were hurts that he physically _could not pull free._ He screws his eyes shut and clenches his fist.

“Can you... can you _really_ promise me that the five nations won't fall into another war? That I won’t have to see my friends die because of a problem they had nothing to do with?”

“Yes.” Naruto didn't even hesitate. “And you know I never go back on my promises.”

The response knocks the breath out of Sasuke and his shoulders slump. He struggles to find the anger, struggles to find that words to convey the utter terror that lies in the deepest pit of his heart. When he looks up, Naruto’s eyes are painfully tender, holding nothing but kindness and it stings like a slap. Of course he wouldn't be mad-- if anything, Sasuke had probably only broken his heart, just a little.

Naruto holds out his hand.

A year ago, Sasuke would have held his ground. Would have kept the fight going because he's been hurt _so fucking much_ in his life, and nobody could ever convince him to risk it again. He would have torn his body apart to stay out from under the thumbs of any powerful political figure, because that would have been better than watching all of his fragile connections be torn from him again.

But that was a year ago. And Naruto was the one person who had never broken his trust; he’s _weak._

He takes Naruto’s hand and allows himself to be pulled down next to him on the mattress. Both of his hands come up to cup Sasuke’s face and he leans into the touch, into the hand with that sun-warmed seal on it. The anger is gone; he’s just sad and lost and scared now. He feels like he's seven years old again, watching his brother leave the village on a tide of blood.

“How do you know?” He whispers, his voice hoarse. “How do you know it won't just fall apart?”

Against his will, tears drip down his cheeks, scalding and nearly unfamiliar. It's _agonizing_ , baring his soul like this, but it also feels like poison dripping out of him. It feels bad but cathartic, pleasant but purging. All the pain and the anger that he bottled up and allowed to fester pours out of him, and his shoulders shake with silent sobs. Naruto lets out a long sigh and rests his forehead gently against Sasuke’s.

“I told you, didn't I? I'm gonna be the best fucking Hokage the world has ever seen. We're gonna live long, happy lives, Sasuke Uchiha, and you will never have to see another war. I swear on my life.” He pushes Sasuke’s shower-damp hair from his eyes, his thumbs swiping away the tears. And despite everything, he smiles, and it all falls apart, but somehow right into place.

When he kisses Naruto, he tastes salt and the lingering spice from the stew, but everything fits like a mosaic, broken pieces coming together into something a little less broken and a little more beautiful. Where he was once lost in a black forest, speckles of light bled through the leaves. They pool over the ground like droplets of gold; even if Sasuke will never be able to have faith in humanity again, he can still have faith in Naruto.

Sasuke breaks the kiss softly, instead shifting so that his forehead rests near Naruto’s collarbone.

“I'm sorry,” he breathes miserably. “I didn’t mean it... I don’t want to be anywhere without you. I--”

A loud, insistent knock on the door cuts them off, sending both boys nearly jumping out of their skins.

“I thought I told you two to have your laundry out in the hall!” Granny Kudou gripes. Naruto bursts into muffled giggles and Sasuke cracks a smile, sighing.

“I got it,” Naruto says, and Sasuke reluctantly lets him stand up so that he can pull their clothes from their bags and pile them in his arms. It's not like either of them have a particular large amount of clothing, but it sure looks like it when it's all gathered together like that. There's another knock.

“Yeah, just a second, please!” Naruto calls. He maneuvers the door open to see Granny Kudou standing there, an empty laundry basket clutched in her hands.

“Here you go,” Naruto says, dumping the clothes carefully into the basket. “Thank you so much, by the way.” Granny grunts and looks down at the clothes, then back up at Naruto. Her eyes narrow a little and she props the basket on her hip to adjust her glasses.

“You better not be having sex in there,” she says bluntly. Naruto makes an odd sort of choking noise, spine stiffening.

“Nothing of the sort, ma’am!” He squeaks.

“Good. Put this on your boyfriend’s face while you’re at it-- it’ll help with the scarring.”

She tosses a small container at him, turns around, and trundles back down the hall, ferrying their clothes away. Naruto closes the door quickly, looking down at the nondescript little tub and scratching his head. He pops it open.

“Hey, ointment! This looks like the same stuff Hinata gave me back during the chunin exams. Man, this shit works great,” he says. Sasuke raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything as Naruto shuffles up, sticking his finger into the tub and and gently smearing a little of the medicine over the cut on Sasuke’s face. He watches, faintly amused, as Naruto’s tongue pokes out of his mouth a little with the strength of his concentration.

“There. It might start tingling a little, but that’s normal. I think.”

Sasuke snorts and takes that as his cue to crawl under the covers. He needed to sleep for a week straight to recover the mental energy he expended tonight, but it was highly unlikely that the world would let him do that. Naruto slides in behind him and Sasuke doesn't hesitate before rolling over and burying his face in Naruto’s chest, being careful not to smear ointment all over him. Legs criss-cross, his cheek comes to rest on top of his chest, arms winding around him until they are well and truly welded together.

“Y’know, I thought you'd want some space from people after all of this,” Naruto admits with a laugh, his fingers combing through Sasuke’s hair. Sasuke grunts tiredly, shrugging a little.

“You don't count as people,” he says simply. Naruto gives him a squeeze, chuckling.

“Honestly, that's probably the most flattering thing you've ever told me.”

“Go die.”

“Maybe later.”

A laugh passes between them and Sasuke snuggles in more comfortably, eyelids drooping wearily. At some point, Egg had hopped down from the window sill and crawled back onto the bed, lying down in the curve of Naruto’s knees. The fingers combing through Sasuke’s hair are practically a lullaby, drawing out the tension built up over the day and making him ridiculously sleepy.

“I've always wanted to come home to somebody,” Naruto says quietly. “It didn't really matter the context: whether it's a parent or a sibling or friend or whatever... I always used to have dreams about saying ‘I'm home!’ and smell something cooking or hear music playing.”

“So you want me me to be a housewife?” Sasuke snorts. Naruto pinches his ear gently, not even hard enough to hurt, and clicks his tongue.

“No, you ass. But I think it would be nice though-- living together I mean, not you being a housewife.” Sasuke chuckles, but that idea... doesn’t sound too bad actually. They could have a dumb little apartment with their dumb little cat and have dumb little dinners with all their dumb friends.

“Where would you live? In the village, I mean. If you could pick anywhere, where would you plant a house?”

“Anywhere?”

“Mm.”

Naruto hums, his fingers tapping gently on Sasuke’s shoulder as he thinks.

“I think I’d like to live on top of Hokage mountain. That way I don’t have the faces staring down at me, but I’d still get to look over everyone and keep them safe. _And_ I’d get the best view of the sunrise.”

It sounds nice.

“Keep talking,” Sasuke murmurs. Naruto huffs.

“I’d build a whole little cat tower for Egg. He’s a brat though, so I bet he’ll play with the box the wood came in more. Maybe we could have a garden too-- grow tomatoes ‘n scallions and stuff. We could get chickens too. There’d be a big window in the living room so that we can watch the sun go down. Big bed... Big dinner table so that we can have dinners with our friends on the weekends...”

Naruto’s fantasizing drifts off into incoherent mumbling as he falls asleep, but it’s more than enough to send Sasuke off too.

* * *

 

**1.28.XX**

_Pat. Pat pat pat--_

“Ow, _fffuck..._ ” Sasuke bats away Egg’s razor claws from where they were giving a valiant effort to remove his nose, picking up the cat and setting him to the side. He groans and rubs his eyes wearily; it feels like he just came out of a damned _coma,_ and he’s about five seconds from sliding right back under.

His left arm twinges sharply, and he grimaces, opening his eyes reluctantly. So it was gonna be one of _those_ days, huh? He blinks a few times, and then sits up a little faster than he probably should.

The room is flooded with light-- he’s slept in. A _lot._ More importantly, Naruto’s gone too, the only remnants of him being the indent in the pillow. Egg lets out a long, irritated mew and crawls back into his lap, seeking attention. If he’s still here, that probably meant that Naruto was nearby. No need to panic.

He sighs and spends a few seconds indulging Egg with a few ear scratches. Egg starts up with his unfittingly thunderous purr, but Sasuke doesn’t let it last too long. He sets him aside and throws off the covers, sliding his feet over the side of the bed. Another painful ripple slides up his missing arm, and he grits his teeth irritably. For something that was apparently all in his head, phantom limb pain was a real _pain in his ass._

Sasuke pulls the hoodie from last night over his head, and exits the room, making sure to close the door on Egg behind him. The apartment is quiet, but not empty. A soft tinkering comes from the kitchen, as if someone is shuffling cups around.

He rounds the corner and comes upon Granny Kudou, elbow deep in one of her cupboards, the mismatched collection of mugs from within it spread out on the counter below her. She looks over as he enters, pushing her glasses up her nose. Her slate gray hair is out of it’s severe bun, just the top tied up (not unlike the way Sasuke was wearing his hair yesterday).

“You’re finally up,” she says bluntly, returning to rearranging her mugs.

“That I am. What time is it?”

“Nearly eleven. Iwa and Naruto are down in the bookshop. Probably conspiring on some insane plan to woo that damned Fuyumi.” She clicks her tongue, and tweaks a mug ever so slightly so that the handle is facing at the same angle as the other mugs in the cupboard. Sasuke watches as she carefully arranges them by height and color, all carefully pointing the same direction.

“Do you want tea?” She asks.

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Sasuke murmurs. He still feels vaguely like he’s been run over by a horse, his sleep schedule thoroughly fucked. Granny pulls down two of the mugs, and grabs a kettle from where it sits to the left of the stove.

“Peppermint or yerba mate?”

“Peppermint is fine.”

She fills the kettle, lights the stove, and then shuffles over to the dining room table to take a seat heavily. She props her foot out in front of her and for the first time, Sasuke notices that she doesn’t _have_ a foot. A smooth, wooden prosthetic takes the place of her leg from just below the knee down, a slipper tucked over it to muffle the noise. For a lack of anything better to do, he takes a seat across from her. She doesn’t spare him a glance, instead pulling off her glasses and proceeding to clean the lenses on her shirt.

“Am I right in thinking that you were caught up in the fourth war?” She says without warning. Sasuke blinks, rubs his fingers together uncomfortably.

“Something like that...” He murmurs.

“Is that how you lost the arm?” He winces.

“Not exactly.” Granny snorts and pushes her glasses back onto her face.

“You’re one shady fella, aren’t you?” Sasuke shrugs halfheartedly.

“You have to be, when you’re a shinobi.” Granny purses her lips, crossing her arms as she sits back.

“Well, you’ve got me there,” she says. Sasuke eyes her curiously, head tilting a little.

“How could you tell?” Sasuke asks. “That I was in the war.”

Granny eyes him with sharp, black eyes, and doesn’t answer for a moment. Her face is lined with age, the wear and tear of her youth showing up in heavy frown lines and crooked fingers. She looks down at her hands, and twists a heavy silver ring around her finger.

“When we got the notice, calling for shinobi and kunoichi to fight for the cause, about four hundred men and women answered the call. Barely a quarter of that came back, and they all had that same look in their eyes. I served in the third war, twenty something years ago. I remember what it was like, trying to readjust to a world that feels like its shifted while you were gone. But these kids? These kids don’t look like that. Whatever they saw, it wasn’t your average bloodbath-- they came back with pieces missing, but it was more like the pieces had always been missing and they’re only now noticing them. They talk about weird dreams a lot.”

Sasuke starts, his chair squealing slightly across the floor. The Tsukuyomi-- of course. He opens his mouth, but the tea kettle whistles shrilly and Granny pushes herself to her feet, pulling the kettle off the stove. She pours two mugs and drops tea bags into the pair of them and returns to the table. Sasuke accepts his gratefully and fiddles with the tea bag, waiting for it to steep.

“This wasn’t... it wasn’t some squabble over land,” Sasuke murmurs eventually. “The fate of the whole world was on the line. The enemies weren’t even _human_.” He drifts off and frowns into the depths of his tea. He doesn’t mention that he wasn’t quite all human either; splitting the sky with god-like bursts of lightning that made his teeth ache, watching Naruto explode with the brilliance of a supernova as he threw everything he had into holding on. Granny blows gently on her tea and takes a small sip.

“I’ve heard. We’re living in a strange world, that’s for sure.” Sasuke huffs.

“You’re telling me.”

An amiable silence falls over them. It surprises Sasuke, how comfortable the air is when it’s just her. It feels sort of like there’s a kinship between them-- two people, two different wars, but with the same kind of scars, the same haunts. He can see it in the weight on her shoulders, and wonders what role she played in the third war. Espionage? Recon? Cannon fodder?

Granny sets her mug down on the table with a soft clunk, drawing his attention. She’s twisting the ring again, her expression heavy.

“When you get to be my age, the big things stop mattering. Whatever pebbles have dropped in your life, you’ve ridden the wave and now you’re at the edge of the pond. We can’t do much anymore-- only prepare the kids coming after us to make their own waves. But you?” She raises an eyebrow, peering at him out of the corner of her eye. “You’re ten years too young to stop caring. You’re still throwing pebbles kid-- whether you like it or not. I know you’re only out here because you’re running.”

Sasuke purses his lips and fidgets with his mug, turning it in circles on the table.

“You can’t possibly know what I’m running from,” he mutters.

“Like _hell_ I don’t know!” The bite in her voice makes him flinch. “You think I’m not out here running too? We all do things we’re not proud of. We throw stones we shouldn’t and have to deal with the aftershocks. The only thing you have control over is if you let the world drown you or if you get your ass in gear and start swimming.”

Sasuke’s lips tug up in a wry smirk-- she reminds him of Kurama, but in the way he’d be if Sasuke hadn’t tried to kill him. Despite the firecracker snaps in her tone, she’s a mother through and through. Despite all of her grumbling and demanding, she had still let them stay here without a fuss. She had fed them and washed their clothes and given him medicine for his wound. Tough love, he thinks they call it. He puts his cheek in his hand and stares sightlessly down at his tea.

“I’ve got some big aftershocks to deal with,” she says. His eyes flick up when Granny snorts, standing up and carrying her mug to the sink.

“What kind of self respecting shinobi can’t balance himself on top of the water?” She grumbles.

That makes him laugh. A real, genuine laugh and he sits back, running a hand through his hair, dazed. He picks up his mug and finishes off the rest of his tea, burning the roof of his mouth a little.

“Thanks for the tea, Granny,” he says, standing up to place his mug in the sink as well. Granny waves him off, sniffing dismissively.

“The only people who get to call me that send me cards at Christmas,” she mutters sarcastically. “Your clothes are on the back of the couch. I’m going to lie down for a nap. Don’t bother me.”

She then stalks off and closes herself in her bedroom without another word. Sasuke shuffles into the living room and true to her word, all his clothes lie in neat piles on the back of the couch. He picks them up and carries them back to his room, tucking them carefully into his bag. He blinks and then picks up a pair of socks, inspecting it closely.

She’d stitched every hole shut.

Sasuke packs up the rest of his things and then sets his bag next to Naruto’s, ready to be picked up and shouldered for the next part in their adventure. He leaves the room and then exits the apartment entirely, padding down the creaky steps and stepping out into an almost pleasantly warm afternoon. The town looks less gloomy in the daylight, and even the ground is beginning to harden back up after days of slush and rain.

He rounds the building and steps into the bookshop instead, his eyes immediately catching on Iwamoto as he arranges a display near the checkout counter. He looks up at the sound of the bell and then waves politely.

“Good morning! Sorry for abandoning you to Granny, I needed to open the shop,” he laughs sheepishly. “I hope she wasn’t too mean.” Sasuke shakes his head, eyes trailing around the shop. Shelf after shelf of books and scrolls and tomes are crammed into nearly every available inch of space, leaving barely enough room to squeeze between them to move around. Books even lie in stacks on the ground, coming nearly up to his waist.

“No, not at all. We had a pretty nice talk actually. Have you seen Naruto around?” He asks. Iwamoto nods towards an aisle of bookshelves that wind deep into the store.

“I think he went exploring towards the back,” he says. Sasuke nods in thanks and quickly shuffles down into the maze.

Despite the cramped atmosphere, the shelves are incredibly deceptive, hiding more space than he would have thought possible. Each time Sasuke thinks he’s found the back of the store, the shelves break, arranged in an odd maze-like formation, revealing yet _another_ section. It’s almost surreal-- as if he’s stepped into an alternate dimension, some kind of liminal space separate from the bustle of the outside world that can cram a millennia worth of books into a small time bookshop.

He finally hits the back of the store, and nearly misses Naruto completely.

He’s wedged in the corner, lounging in a beanbag that he had probably pulled from some pocket dimension, books strewn around him as he reads from a heavy looking text in his lap. He’s sitting directly in a square of light from a small window on the wall opposite of him, and he looks both out of place and right at home. Odd, because Sasuke can count the number of times he’s seen Naruto reading an Actual Book on one hand, but fitting in that he’s seen that expression of concentration and determination enough times to have it memorized. Sunlight traces over his jaw, highlighting the gold in his eyelashes as his eyes flick over the page, utterly entranced. Sasuke finds himself staring for several seconds, watching his fingers carefully turn wrinkled, worn pages, his mouth occasionally muttering over difficult words, knees tucked close to him.

Sasuke clears his throat a little, resting his elbow on a nearby bookshelf. Naruto glances up and then grins.

“Look who’s finally up,” he teases. Sasuke rolls his eyes and crosses the small space, sitting down on the floor next to him.

“You didn’t wake me up,” he points out. Naruto shrugs, looking back down at his book.

“You’re so cute when you sleep, I couldn’t possibly have disturbed you. Plus, you looked like you needed a few extra hours.” He grins cheekily and turns his head, nuzzling his nose briefly into the side of Sasuke’s head. He huffs and leans in, resting his cheek on Naruto’s shoulder so that he can peer down at the inside of the book.

“What are you reading?” Naruto closes the book, leaving his finger in to keep his spot, and shows Sasuke the cover. _Fuinjutsu: An Ancient Art_ is written across it in faded letters, a swirling, foreign symbol trailing across it in a golden leaf. Sasuke raises a hard eyebrow.

“Sealing jutsu? Why are you reading up on _that?”_ Naruto shrugs a little and opens back up to his spot.

“I uh... well, I’ve been talking to Kurama a lot lately. He’s been telling me about my mom and stuff.” He runs his finger up and down the page he’s on, fidgeting. “Apparently the Uzumaki were really well known for this stuff. Part of the reason Mom was chosen to be his vessel. I thought I’d look into it, and there’s actually some pretty neat stuff in here. I mean, sometimes the words all blur together but like, I actually _understand_ what they’re talking about, with seal theories and stuff. I mean, look at this!” His voice gets that excited little _lilt_ to it, and Sasuke knows he’s in for a spectacular infodump. Naruto flips back a couple of pages, and stops on a large diagram of a sealing pattern that takes up nearly the whole page. Arrows, numbers, and symbols of different colors mark it all over, corresponding to notes written on the next page over-- some are even handwritten.

“Whenever I look at this stuff I can kinda just _see_ it, y’know?” Sasuke’s eyes run over the diagram, skimming the notes on the side. To be honest, fuinjutsu has never really been his strong suit. It’s too complicated, too many theories and rules to keep in mind for it to really be useful in battle. The bracers he used to summon shuriken from had been specially designed by an old master, and he understood little about how it worked aside from the proper method of pulling things out. A good seal was difficult to come by as well; one wrong mark could have the whole thing blowing up in your face. Sasuke shrugs after a minute.

“Looks like gibberish to me,” he says. Naruto jostles his shoulder with a click of his tongue.

“No, no, see, look,” he chatters. “This part here, the rings around it, that creates the subspace that whatever you’re sealing goes into. Each prong-- y’know, the little parts that stick out on the side, the patterns there tell you how big the space is and how strong it’ll be. That’s why object sealing scrolls don’t look too complicated, because I mean you’re just sealing weapons or something, it’s not like it’s gonna fight back. But when you’re sealing _living_ things, you have to take into account how much the thing’s gonna fight, yeah? That’s why my seal looks like a clusterfuck-- Kurama’s one mean son of a bitch. No offense, dude.” Naruto gets this crooked grin on his face and he lets the book go so he can gesture wildly with his hands.

“Okay, so this is the coolest part about it-- y’know how Kaguya could drag us into those alternate dimensions? Well, the subspace that sealed stuff goes into is _in between_ those dimensions. Like the gooey filling in a PB-and-J, see? I mean, this book only talks about those other dimensions as if they _might_ exist because, y’know, I doubt this author was getting dragged through the fucking cosmos by the mother of chakra itself, but it’s almost right on the money! That’s why seals blow up in your face if you do them wrong! If that safety-net thing that creates the subspace breaks, you’re literally popping into a different _dimension--_ you’re not supposed to do that, so the universe fixes the crack, but the energy from it has to go _somewhere,_ so it takes the easiest way out: that is to say, the ‘entrance’ of your seal. This shit is so cool, man, this thing even talks about theoretically harnessing the energy from cracking dimensions. For what they don’t know, but this guy was throwing out ideas like slowing down the aging process, _reversing_ it, messing with the flow of time, or even interdimensional travel! It’s _so cool!”_

He’s practically out of breath by the time he finishes, and Sasuke just stares at him, his chest feeling mushy and affectionate. Naruto’s bizarre and informal way of explaining an _incredibly_ complicated concept actually made a lot of sense and honestly?

It was kinda hot.

Naruto notices him staring and frowns a little, hands lowering.

“Did that even make sense? Sorry, I didn’t mean to talk so much-- mm!” Before he could even finish his apology, Sasuke wraps his fingers around the back of Naruto’s neck and pulls him into a kiss, short and sappy-- just how he liked it.

“You're kind of a genius sometimes, you know that?” Naruto raises an eyebrow, a bemused smiled curling at his lips.

“You're in a good mood. Should I be suspicious?”

“I just had some really good tea,” he says simply. Naruto picks up the hand resting on the back of his neck so he can kiss his knuckles.

“That's vague and still kind of worrying, but okay I guess. Whatever works.” Sasuke huffs and rests his cheek back on his shoulder, staring at the other books littered around him.

“How long have you been back here?”

“I dunno. Since like six? Iwamoto made coffee and the smell woke me up, so I just decided to follow him down here. It's really cool-- I've never seen a bookstore like this.”

“We should buy those.”

“Huh?”

“The books, so you can finish them.”

“Oh yeah! But ugh, I'd have to carry them around then,” he sprawls out dramatically on the beanbag with a groan and Sasuke chuckles as he pushes himself to his feet.

“Well Mr. Sealing Genius, I suppose you'll have to figure something out,” he teases. He offers a hand and Naruto snaps the book closed to take it, letting Sasuke haul him to his feet. Naruto looks down at the books around around him and begins sorting them out; some he slides back on the shelf and some he shoves in Sasuke’s arm.

“I liked this one, I liked this one, this one only talks about the history of fuinjutsu, boring, boring, I didn't look much at this one but it's by the same author as the other one I liked so I'll take it.”

By the time he's finished, Sasuke is holding enough books that he can nearly rest his chin on them. Naruto grins nervously and points a finger distractingly past him.

“To the front!” He crows.

They wind their way out of the shelf maze and return to the front. Iwamoto is flicking boredly through a magazine but his expression brightens when he sees the pair of them.

“Hey, books!” He says.

“Books!” Naruto echoes back. “Hey!”

“‘Ayyyeee!”

“‘Ayyyeeee!”

They're like a couple of god damn parrots. Sasuke sighs and sets the pile on the counter with a heavy thump. There are five in total, and he prepares to fork over _another_ limb to get them. Iwamoto looks at each title, eyebrows raising as he jots down each name onto a ticket.

“Wow, some of these have been here for years. I don't even remember _getting_ this one,” he says, waving around _An Ancient Art_ as he tucks it into a bag. “I've only been running the shop for four years or so, Granny did pretty much everything before.”

He tucks the last book into the bag, punches some numbers into an _ancient_ looking calculator and turns back to them.

“Twenty-seven ryo!” He chirps. Sasuke short circuits for half a moment.

“Pardon?”

“Twenty-seven ryo? I can give you my employee discount if you don't have that much.” Sasuke shakes his head, pulls out his money pouch.

“No, that's fine, I just thought that it would be more expensive. Those are good books,” he says. Iwamoto shrugs and holds out his hands for the coins.

“Well, pretty much every book in here is used, plus we have a deal where if you buy four books, you get the fifth one free. Also this one--" he reaches into the bag and taps one of the covers, “--has been written in, so I added a damage discount.” Sasuke puffs irritably at a strand of hair in his face.

“I wish I knew about this store back in the academy. That _one_ textbook we had to buy was fifty ryo all on its own.”

“What textbook?” Naruto chimed in, frowning.

“The... ugh, what was it called? _Shinobi and Kunoichi: Past and Present_ maybe? Something like that. It had the whole ninja handbook in it.” Naruto still looks blank. “We had to read a section from it every night?”

Still no recognition.

“Iruka-sensei slammed it on your desk whenever you fell asleep.” Naruto’s eyes light up.

“Oh, that thing!” Sasuke rubs his forehead wearily and Naruto lets out a boisterous laugh. “Nah, it was too expensive so I just didn't buy it. That's probably why I didn't understand what was going on in class, like, ever.”

“Oh for the love of...” Sasuke picks up the bag of books and shoves it in Naruto’s hands. “Keep the change,” he tells Iwamoto.

“Oh, uh... thanks!”

Both of them return to the apartment, tiptoeing as to not disturb Granny Kudou’s nap. Naruto completes a feat of inhuman puzzle solving and manages to cram all five books into his bag, but Sasuke eyes the seams warily. If the Uzumakis were supposed to be prodigal sealing master, he hoped that Naruto would be able get the hang of it quickly; they'd started their journey with their bags mostly empty, and now it seemed they'd gained thirty pounds of Stuff and it was getting exhausting.

The look on Naruto’s face when he heaves his bag over his shoulders, now five books heavier, suggests that he's extremely motivated to figure out this whole “sealing” thing.

They exit the room and both freeze at the sight of Granny Kudou, sitting on the couch, a soft clicking reaching their ears as knitting needles swiftly weave back and forth. What looks like a partially finished scarf lays across her lap, and she’s too absorbed in the task to look up when they shuffle into the living room.

“You boys look like you’re ready to go,” she says closely inspecting a dropped stitch, carefully slipping it back onto the needle. Naruto shuffles his weight, patting his thighs for lack of anything better to do with his hands.

“Uh, yeah. We’ve already taken up a bunch of your time--”

“Pffah!” Granny cuts him off. “It’s not like I have anything better to do with my time. I'm old! I got so bored I had to learn how to _knit.”_ She shakes her unfinished scarf around with a little frustrated noise and Naruto snickers, covering his mouth.

“Well, then, you're welcome! I've heard I'm very entertaining.” Naruto puffs out his chest and makes Granny snort.

“That's one way of putting it. Make sure you say your goodbyes to Iwa-- I think he's grown rather fond of you two.”

“Aw, are you saying you _haven't_ grown fond of us?” He gushes, skipping over and sitting himself down on the armrest of the couch. Granny looks up at him for the first time and absolute lack of amusement on her face made even Sasuke cover a smile. She grabs both of her knitting needles and jabs them into Naruto’s thigh, making him yelp and fall onto the floor.

“Don't sit on my armrest.”

Miffed, Naruto picks himself up off the floor and crosses his arms.

“Grouchy,” he complains.

“Loud,” Granny shoots back.

Naruto opens his mouth to continue this asinine back-and-forth, but before he could, Sasuke aims a sharp jab at his gut. All the breath leaves him in a pathetically squeaky wheeze and Sasuke uses the chance to trap Naruto in a headlock.

“Thank you so much for letting us stay the night. We need to go now.”

“Understandable, have a nice day.”

Sasuke aims Naruto at the door and releases him. He grumbles at his mistreatment, but turns when he reaches the door.

“Bye, Granny!”

“You better be sending me Christmas cards!”

“Of course!”

Sasuke isn't surprised that Naruto doesn't even hesitate. He squeezes unto the tiny stairwell and Sasuke turns to close the door behind him.

“Hey, kids!”

They pause and look up as Granny turns her head to look at them over the back of the couch. Her black eyes are piercing but not unkind, and Sasuke is faintly reminded that this woman was a kunoichi-- and apparently a good enough one to survive the third world war. _And_ a reckless kid like Iwamoto

“I hope you find whatever you're looking for.” Sasuke’s lips crook in a smile and he nods his head respectfully.

“Me too, Granny.”

He shuts the door, but before he trundles down the stairs, he runs his hand over the door frame.

“What’re you doing?” Naruto asks. There’s a faint sizzling noise and when Sasuke lifts his hand, a simple mark has been branded into the wood. It flares with chakra for a second before vanishing from sight.

“It’s a pin, so that my hawks know where to find her.”

“Why?” Sasuke aims a disapproving look at Naruto.

“So that we can send her Christmas cards, stupid.”

* * *

 

**_2.5.XX_ **

The addition of the books brings about a new sort of night routine on their travels. They'd find somewhere to bed up, whether it be an inn or a decent clearing, and then Naruto would settle down with a text in his lap and a pen in his hand, often with Egg napping on his belly. Sometimes Sasuke would rest his head on his shoulder and Naruto would read aloud from the book. If it was important, he'd put on a pretentious, silly voice to keep Sasuke from falling asleep after ten minutes.

Sasuke was glad to see him so invested in something, but the sight of _Naruto Uzumaki_ poring over a textbook and even scribbling _notes_ was something Sasuke never would have expected. Even when he wasn’t reading, he was idly scribbling designs in a notebook or talking about his latest discovery.

Not to mention his hyperfocus binge left Sasuke vaguely... touch starved.

Ugh, he was getting cockblocked by a _book._ The ridiculousness of the thought nearly gave him a headache.

Sasuke runs a rag over the flat of his blade, making sure to get into the crevices to clean out dried flecks of blood. The idiotic group of bandits that had ambushed them weren't very difficult to deal with, but they sure did bleed a lot. Naruto’s scarf now had a spray of scarlet across it, but Egg had somehow avoided getting caught in the crossfire. He seems very proud of himself, and makes sure to rub this fact in by grooming himself in plain sight of both of them.

“Ah ha!”

Sasuke glances up at Naruto, who's brandishing a calligraphy brush triumphantly. He rubs his nose, unknowingly smearing ink across his face.

“I think I got it...” He says. Sasuke looks at the scroll he's been carefully painting over for the past twenty minutes, and sees a simple, somewhat lopsided seal drawn on it. The marks are all neat and precise, though, and Sasuke’s eyebrows raise a little, impressed.

“What are you gonna seal in it?”

“Uhh...” Naruto glances around and then swipes up a decently sized stick. “This!” He fans the paper a little but to make sure the ink is dry and then gently sets the stick down on it. He puts his palms on either side of the stick and takes a deep breath; even Sasuke finds himself leaning forward, his heart beating just a little bit faster.

“Here goes nothing.”

There's a flare of chakra and the stick disappears in a puff of smoke. Naruto blinks and his face splits into a smile.

“Hey, it wor--"

The scroll suddenly starts smoking and Sasuke lunges forward, sliding the tip of his sword under the scroll. He launches it vertically and not a second later, the scroll explodes in an blast of blue light. The burning flakes of the scroll flutter down around them like snow and Egg has a ball batting them out of the air. Naruto grins nervously as Sasuke gives him a Look.

“Well, it was only my first try.”

* * *

 

**_2.7.XX_ **

Three more scrolls explode in bursts of multicolored flame. One sprays a thick cloud of smoke, and another dissolves into dust and gets blown away by the wind.

That doesn't even touch on the _weird_ failures.

He seals a carrot in one and while nothing seemed amiss at first, it came back out blackened and charred. Another scroll returns the smashed pulp of a once-whole apple and yet another rejects anything put in it by launching it out at ungodly speeds. The rock he had attempted to seal inside it had nearly taken Naruto’s head off and spooked Egg up a tree.

By far the most concerning mishap was getting an apple back with a single large bite taken out of it. That's it.

It was extremely unnerving.

Yet another scroll dissolves into dust and Naruto throws his hands into the air, letting out a frustrated yell.

“What am I doing wrong?!” He shouts at the sky as he collapses onto his back. Critters of the night scamper away from the noise, and the stars don't seem to hold an answer for him either. He kicks at the pile of ash the scroll left and tosses his brush in the direction of the small inkwell he’d been using.

Sasuke spots an opportunity, and he scoots a little closer so that his thigh is nearly flush with Naruto’s where he's sprawled out on his bedroll. He's still staring at the sky though, frowning deeply.

“Maybe you need to take a break,” Sasuke offers. Naruto grumbles and rubs his face.

“But I'm _so close_ I can _feel it.”_ Sasuke sighs, because of course Naruto was too worked up to be able to pick up on subtlety. He sits up and swings his leg over Naruto’s waist, planting himself firmly on his thighs.

“Let me rephrase: maybe _I_ want you to take a break.”

Naruto blinks.

“Yeah, okay.”

* * *

 

**_2.8.XX_ **

“Sasuke. Pssssst, hey, Sasuke.”

“It’s fucking _early,_ why are you _\--"_

“I figured it out!”

Sasuke sighs and lifts his head, turning so that his other cheek is squashed against the pillow and his head is facing Naruto. He's crouching in nothing but his boxers (not that Sasuke is much better) and a scroll is spread open in front of him. The sky is still a dark indigo, indicating that dawn is still at _least_ an hour off.

“Watch.” He puts his hand down on the seal and there's a faint pop-- and Naruto is suddenly holding an undamaged apple, looking extremely proud of himself. He rolls it down his shoulder and bumps it off his elbow and Sasuke catches it with a yawn as he sits up.

“Congrats,” he says. Naruto flops back onto his butt and crosses his arms, cackling triumphantly.

“Maybe you should blow me more often, it helps me think better,” he jokes. Sasuke flat eyes him and takes a bite out of the apple.

“Maybe if I had sucked your dick before we fought Kaguya, we wouldn't have had so much trouble.” Naruto bursts out in wheezing laughter, doubling over and holding his stomach.

“M-maybe if you'd sucked my dick we wouldn't have blasted our arms off!” He dissolves into hysterical laughter, throwing himself onto his back and kicking his legs in the air. Sasuke covers his face, but he, too, is shaking with barely contained laughter.  

Because hey, maybe all their problems _could_ be summed up by unnecessarily high sexual tension.

* * *

 

**_3.15.XX_ **

It's the first warm day in what feels like ages, and Sasuke delights in being able to wear one of his short-sleeved shirts for once. The buds of new leaves dot the trees and the grass is already beginning to come back to life. Egg is having a ball chasing down beetles and small rodents, but it's less pleasant when Sasuke wakes up to find corpses in his bedroll. It's hard to be mad though when he sits back, tail swishing, and waits eagerly for a treat.

Which he always gets, of course, because Naruto didn't learn his lesson about spoiling cats the first time around.

Sasuke was in a good mood; he’d found a small grove of kumquat trees and now he had a basket full of them. They would be a sweet treat for lunch, and with the sugar they bought from the last town, they could even candy them. He pushes aside a tree branch, stepping over a log as he returns to their campsite.

“Hey, guess what I found over by th...” He stops dead. “ _What_ are you doing?”

Naruto glances up from where he's leaning against a tree, his mesh shirt pulled up to expose his stomach, a needle in one hand. He blinks once.

“Giving myself a stick and poke.”

“A _what?”_

Naruto points down at his stomach and Sasuke notices that his demon seal is on full display, tracing starkly across his skin. However, whatever point Naruto is trying to get across _doesn't_ and Sasuke is only more confused than he was before.

“A stick and poke! You know, like a tattoo. I figure since I have a solid grasp on sealing now, I wanna try and see if I can change mine a little. I don't want my headspace to look like a steampunk ghost cave anymore-- every time I come out of there I feel like my feet are wet.” He makes a face and focuses back on his seal. Sasuke gets a bad feeling and he sits down in front of Naruto warily, setting his basket of kumquats to the side.

“Are you sure you should do that? That's a highly sophisticated seal and also your life kind of depends on Kurama staying inside you,” he says dubiously. To his mild distress, Naruto waves his hand around dismissively.

“I've been talking to Kurama and I totally know what I'm doing. Basically all he did during the twelve years I didn't know he existed was staring at my seal and trying to figure out ways to break it, so he's pretty much an expert. All I have to do is avoid the rings that control the subspace and I'll be just fine.”

“If you say so...”

Sasuke scoots away and pulls the basket onto his lap as Naruto proceeds with his stick and poke. As nervous as the idea of tampering with a powerful seal made him, the seriousness with which Naruto regarded this at least gave him _some_ peace of mind. Ever since figuring out what was making his seals go fucky (odd numbered rings with even numbered prongs, whatever _that_ meant), he hadn't blown up or dissolved a single scroll since. Now his biggest hurdle came from designing seals that were unique to him alone, and Naruto had never been lacking in creativity.

“Hm... I think this will work,” Naruto hums after awhile. Sasuke watches as he carefully sets the needle aside and sits up a little straighter. “Now all I gotta do is seal it in with chakra.”

All five fingers light up with chakra and he presses them to his gut, giving a sharp clockwise twist.

It's as if someone had cracked a whip through the air-- every hair stands on end and Sasuke’s hand jerks towards his sword clutching it in a white knuckled grip.

“Naruto, you're a fucking idiot.”

Sasuke hadn’t said that. Neither had Naruto.

When Naruto opens his eyes, the left one is a furious scarlet-- but the other stays baby blue. Sasuke’s fight or flight is all over the map, and for the first time in his life, he just _freezes_.

“Ack!” It's Naruto this time. “I must not have closed the right path!” Half of his face contorts into a sneer and the result is bizarre and unpleasant to look at.

“I _told_ you to pay attention before you activated it!”

Naruto suddenly moans in pain and clutches his head curling over.

“Kurama, don’t _yell_ , you're giving me a headache!”

“I'm _not_ yelling--"

Naruto sucks in a breath of pain, cutting himself (Kurama?) off and his leg jiggles with agony.

“Shh!”

“I'm not giving you a headache, my consciousness is leaking into yours. _Fix it_ before I dissolve you!”

“I _can’t,_ my head hurts _so bad!”_

“Oh for the love of--" Naruto’s head jerks up, but it's twitchy, as if two different people were trying to pull off different maneuvers. Naruto’s voice is bouncing between his usual lilt and Kurama’s inhuman growl, and Sasuke doesn't have a _clue_ as how to help. Naruto’s clearly in pain, but he's concerned that if he tries anything, Kurama will lash out. And did he say he was going to _dissolve Naruto?!_

“Uchiha!” Kurama barks. “Put me in a genjutsu-- it'll put me to sleep and let Naruto clean up this mess!”

“But--"

_“Just do it!”_

Sasuke’s teeth grit irritably at the commanding snap in his tone, but he supposes now really isn't the time to be sassing the ancient being in charge of his boyfriend’s life.

His sharingan flares up and Kurama’s chakra is easy to pick out-- it bursts out of Naruto in unnatural, spiking waves, but it's easy enough to tame-- especially considering Kurama isn’t trying to fight him at the moment. He casts a basic genjutsu and the world falls away, familiar in the suffocating silence.

He opens his eyes and finds himself in a vaguely familiar basement. Water drips somewhere behind him, and his feet lie soaked in ankle-deep water. Some part of Sasuke understands why Naruto would attempt something as risky as messing with his seal-- this place is downright _depressing_ and the idea of having to live here for decades repulses him.

However, the ambiance is where the similarities stop. Sasuke has to physically stop himself from shrinking back, because no longer does he have the security of a set of iron bars separating himself and Kurama-- he sits, unrestrained, in front of a massive torii gate, and his long ears flick irritably down at Sasuke. He's absolutely _massive_ , sitting back on his haunches with his head raised, but if Sasuke was intimidated, he doesn't show it. He lifts his head to stare at the pipes along the ceiling and calls out “does this work?”

There a moment of silent as his voice echoes around the chamber. Then, from everywhere at once--

“Yeah, way better! Give me like fifteen minutes, I'll have this fixed right up-- I know exactly what went wrong.”

“Do it _right_ and _double-check,”_ Kurama snaps. “Read it backwards, like I told you to!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can give me the ‘I-Told-You-So’ speech later, you old fart.”

 _“Watch it._ I could have just eaten your consciousness and taken control of your body, you know.”

“But you'd _miiiss_ me, wouldn't you?” Naruto baby talks.

“You're on thin fucking ice.”

Naruto cackles, but soon his voice fades away and Sasuke is presumably left with Kurama, alone, for the next fifteen minutes.

It isn't any less tense the second time around.

Sasuke glances around for a place to sit, but there's only murky water as far as the eye can see-- aside from the torii gate. Realistically, sitting his ass down in the water wouldn't have made any difference; it's not like he's actually _here,_ and it's not like Kurama could do much to stop him-- they're in _his_ genjutsu.

Then again, it's not a particularly strong genjutsu and Naruto’s life relies on Kurama remaining submissive-- so it would be best not to irritate him.

Kurama lets out a puff of breath through his nose and leans forward onto front legs, tails swishing. He turns around in a circle and the collapses down with a thump that makes the room vibrate, his back to Sasuke. Water splashes up to his knees and he grimaces.

Actually, fuck this.

He bends his knees and springs off the ground. His momentum carries him easily to the top of the torii gate, and he sits down on the end of it, his feet dangling off.

“I don't understand why you _willingly_ stay with him,” Kurama rumbles. His head rests on his front paws, but his eyes remain open, staring up at Sasuke with an idle sort of curiosity. It's better than the caustic hatred he'd seen the last time Kurama was at the front, but it's... a little confusing to be honest. Sasuke kicks his heel against the gate, glancing off at the walls.

“He’s got a way of growing on you.”

“Tch, like a tapeworm.”

Kurama rolls onto his side and stretches out, his flexing toes causing wicked sharp claws to flash for just a moment. Sasuke doesn't know if he's trying to lowkey threaten him or if he’s really just trying to relax. Either way, Kurama rolls all the way onto his back and stares at the ceiling.

“Naruto started his whole sealing craze because I asked. About this,” he says after a moment. Sasuke kicks his heel again and then stops-- he’d never been good at small talk, but if this is what it came to.

“About changing the way your cage looks?”

“About being able to _influence_ the way it looked. Believe me, it would have been easier if he just tried to make it look like sunshine and flowers or something. But no, he _insisted_ that I have control over what I see. Stubborn god damned brat.”

“I would have thought you'd be excited to get out of this dump. I don't want to spend fifteen minutes here, let alone a lifetime.”

“Ha. You find ways to keep yourself entertained.”

The silence falls over them again and Sasuke wants nothing more than for Naruto to finish with his stupid stick-and-poke so that he can abscond the hell out of there. He'd only just figured out how to get over Kurama’s hellfire speech from last time and he wasn't interested in having another one. _Especially_ not now that he's hovering just above his true form and not some bastardized version of Naruto.

“I think I was being hypocritical. With what I said last time we spoke.”

Sasuke nearly falls off the torii gate.

“What?”

“I criticized you for your lack of faith, but it's not like I've ever thought very much of humans.” Sasuke raises an eyebrow, pulling his feet up and crossing them under him.

“That almost sounds like an apology.”

“Well then clean your ears out, because it's not-- I'm only agreeing with your reasoning. Humans are panicky and fickle, and don't blame you for wanting nothing to do with them.”

“Well, at least I have a reason. So far, you just sound like an asshole.”

“Do not speak of things you know nothing about.” Kurama’s mouth pulls back in a mild snarl, that familiar fire in his eyes making them burn bright in the dim lighting. He rolls back onto his side and his tails lash angrily, sending water dashing against the gate. He's angry, but Sasuke can recognize a defense mechanism when he sees one. He feels like he's teetering on a wire, the possibilities of irreversibly pissing off Kurama and coming to a better understanding of him lying below on either side. He could fall silent and let the conversation grow stale, but if anything, Sasuke’s always been a man of action. So he leans forward a little and aims a look at Kurama.

“ _Is_ there a reason? Why you're so full of hate?”

“Why do you think you deserve to know? It's not like humans have _ever_ cared about anything but their own hides.”

“So there _is_ a reason.”

Kurama’s eyes narrow, and the air grows heavy as his ire builds up up the air, almost a physical presence.

“There _isn’t_. My hatred keeps me powerful and unrestrained, don’t get it confused.”

“So humans hurt you, is that it? You’re afraid of being restrained again?”

Kurama is on his feet now, his fur bristling with rage.

“I suggest you stop talking, before rip you limb from limb!” The entire room is rumbling from the growls in his chest and he sticks his face close to Sasuke so that his hair ruffles with every hot gust of breath. Kurama is _fuming_ , and Sasuke feels like he's starting to slide off the wrong side of the wire.

“You're getting awfully defensive over nothing.”

Kurama rears back and Sasuke grips his chakra, preparing to strengthen the genjutsu and put him to sleep, when an enormous tremor ripples through the room. Kurama’s death glare vanishes in favor of utter confusion and his heads whips this way and that.

“I think I got it!” Naruto butts in suddenly. “Just gimme like, five more minutes to finish everything up.”

The room seems to shudder, and then it slowly melts away, like dripping candle wax. An oppressive black void replaces the water and pipes and ugly lighting, and Sasuke isn’t sure whether this is better or worse. The only thing that remained now was the torii gate that Sasuke is still sitting on.

“What...?” Kurama starts, but then the room ripples again. The scene changes slowly, from a dank, dark basement to the bursting green and blue of luscious forest in the heart of summer. The trill of birdsong and the babble of a brook fills the air, and Sasuke lifts his legs as flowering ivy vines suddenly burst around the torii gate.

But even bigger than the scenery change was the change in Kurama’s body language. His bristling fur falls smooth, his flat ears perking back up into a neutral position. He sits back on his haunches and watches as the world erupts to life around him. A mountain breaks the earth apart in the distance and a small spring fills a few feet in front of them. After a second, everything seems to settle, but Kurama still looks struck dumb.

“What is this place?” He asks. Kurama’s shoulders slump and he’s silent for so long, Sasuke thinks he isn't going to answer the question. And then--

“My home,” he mumbles. “Centuries ago.”

A bird flaps by Sasuke’s head.

“What happened to it?”

The scenery changes again. Sasuke watches, his tongue frozen in his mouth, as the place is razed right before his eyes. Trees crumble to ash, fire licking over the grass and the spring ran red with blood. Sasuke’s eyes water from the smoke in the air, but he doesn't cough.

 _“Humans_ happened.” His tails lash angrily but his shoulders and brow are taught with grief. “They didn’t like a beast like _me_ living so close to them. They thought that if they destroyed my home-- if they killed my family, my _kids_... that my attachment to this world would be severed and I would leave.”

A sardonic grin pulls at his lips.

“It worked. After I slaughtered every one of them, I left.”

Sasuke’s shoulders are rigid, and he struggles to comprehend the amalgam of information thrown at him. Kurama had had _kids?_ He’s itching to ask questions, but there an ancient exhaustion in Kurama’s eyes that keeps Sasuke from opening his mouth. The scenery melts away again, swirls in a kaleidoscope of colors until it a field of swaying honey-yellow grass replaces the blackened earth from before. Warm sunlight beats down on them, and Sasuke’s empty sleeve is tugged on a breeze.

“Hmm...” Kurama’s head tilts and a tree bursts from the ground just a few feet away, an enormous oak that casts an ample amount of shade. Kurama walks slowly over to it and curls up beneath it, eyes closed. The conversation seems done with until Kurama chuffs lightly.

“I hate humans. I'll never believe them worth a smidgen of my time but... I trust my stupid jinchuuriki. And if I'm not mistaken, so do you. So _don't_ fuck it up.”

Sasuke stays silent for a moment and lets his hand trail through the grass.

“It sort of sounds like you're starting to give a shit about me,” he says with a wry smirk.

“Tch-- don't push your luck, kid.”

* * *

 

**_3.20.XX_ **

Almost a week passes after the stick-and-poke incident, and nothing significant seems to change. Every once in awhile Sasuke catches Naruto spacing out, but the blond dismisses it as Kurama being more chatty as of late. Apparently, his new surroundings have made him less inclined to nap his way through Naruto’s life.

It's _almost_ a week before Naruto bolts awake in the dead of night, his whole body heaving for breath. He had knocked Sasuke off his chest in the process and now he lies dazed and disoriented, and also kind of annoyed.

“Naruto, what the hell?”

“Paper!”

“...What?”

Naruto is already launching himself off the bedroll, practically scuttling to his bag.

“I need paper, I gotta-- I need to write this down!”

“Write _what_ down?!”

“The-- the _dream,_ the idea that-- oh fucking hell, where'd I put it?!” Pots, cutlery, and clothes go flying as Naruto digs through his bag in a wild frenzy. Finally, with a triumphant _“ah ha!”_ he unearths the journal that Gaara had given to him all those months ago. He flips open to a new page and begins to scribble and as he scribbles, he babbles.

“Like-- like four of them came to visit me last night. Gyūki and Matatabi and Son Gokū and-- and uhh-- _dammit..._ Saiken! They _came_ to me and they showed me these visions! Well, not-- not _visions,_ but memories! Memories of the jinchuuriki they had like _way_ before! I'm talkin’ like _centuries_ ago! Fuck!” The pencil he had been using snaps from his urgency and he tosses it away, digging in his bag for another one. Sasuke huffs and shuffles sleepily over. Naruto grabs another pen but before he can keep writing, Sasuke grabs Naruto’s jaw in a pinching hold that forces his lips to pucker oddly.

“Naruto. _Breathe_ ,” he says forcefully. “You are not going to die if you do not write everything down in the next five seconds.”

Naruto sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, and some of the wild energy leaves his eyes. His eyes turn towards the sky, and he counts to five before looking back down at Sasuke.

“Right. You're right, sorry.” Sasuke releases his jaw in favor of ruffling Naruto’s hair affectionately. His hand slides down to Naruto’s elbow, but doesn’t detach completely.

“What were the memories of? Take like ten seconds to think about it before you go off.”

Naruto pinches his chin, deep in thought, but only makes it to seven before he's bursting out again.

“It was _incredible,_ Sasuke! Jinchuuriki didn't used to be like-- like _this,”_ he gestured vaguely to his body, “y’know, hated and cursed. Babe, it used to be an _honor!_ Old tribes would have _tournaments_ to see who could become the vessel-- it used to be a _partnership,_ see? Not a prison or whatever? But then the old spirits started dying off, and people stopped believing that the bijuu weren't like this big, sacred deal anymore y’know? That made the bijuu upset, like, of course it would! But instead of trying to _appease_ them, people just started locking them up and subduing them however they could. Practically everyone forgot that they even had _names_ Sasuke.” He looks absolutely grief-stricken at that, but then he jabs his finger rapidly at the half-formed phrases scrawled haphazardly over the page.

“But it's not gonna be like anymore, I could change _everything!_ They showed me this old seal they used to do, like-- here, lemme just...” He suddenly starts scratching hurriedly at the paper again, sketching out the rough outline of a seal. He turns the book around and shows it to Sasuke, and he looks at, pretending to know even _remotely_ what he's looking at.

“They used to use this to seal the bijuu inside people, but they stopped because it wasn't strong enough to contain a bijuu who didn't want to be there. But one that _did_ want to be there? They could converse whenever they wanted, their chakra intermingled freely, and man when they worked together, they were _so god damned powerful!”_ Naruto sets the book back in his lap, only to surge forward and grab Sasuke’s hand, that wild frenzy back in his ocean eyes.

“So the entire point of this is-- _what if I started a jinchuuriki training camp?”_

Sasuke blinks.

“What?”

“Think about it! All five great nations, maybe some of the smaller ones too, I dunno, they bring candidates to this-- area or something. The bijuu _pick_ their jinchuuriki, and I could help them control them! No jinchuuriki will _ever_ have to feel like me or Gaara or Bee _ever again.”_ His hands squeeze Sasuke’s. “No kid will ever be completely alone and hated again. Can you _imagine?”_

Sasuke thinks about the bookseller that broke Naruto’s ankle. He thinks about all the hate that Naruto had to bear from the moment of his birth. He thinks about the hollow bloodlust that he saw in Gaara the first time he met him, born from a loveless life.

His expression softens and he pulls his hand from Naruto’s grip so that he can caress his cheek, his thumb rubbing in circles.

“I think that if anyone could do it, it's you.”

* * *

 

**_5.1.XX_ **

The first thought that ran through Sasuke’s head when he lost his arm was how it would affect his ability to fight. After all, it’s what his entire life had revolved around; from birth, his value was tied intrinsically to his ability to guide a weapon to his target. It’s ingrained into every cell in his body; it’s in the way he surveys a room, the way he positions himself even in basic conversations, even in the way he _sleeps._ He's seen ordinary shinobi crippled by the loss of limbs, unable to weave signs or brandish weapons like they used to. He’s seen them discarded by fellow shinobi, their value reduced to nothing by their inability to kill.

However, Sasuke Uchiha was anything _but_ an ordinary shinobi, and even missing an arm, he was still lethal in a way that few people could ever manage.

But then the days and the weeks had passed and new problems arose. Simple things, like doing his hair or cutting his food became frustratingly difficult. He often instinctively reached with his left hand, only to be filled with a hollow sort of frustration as his commands spilled out into empty air. Sasuke Uchiha, who had taken down the progenitor of chakra itself and had the nine bijuu under his thumb, couldn't even dig out the stem of a tomato. Maybe that’s where the phantom limb pain came from-- his own body’s desperate desire to just be _whole_ again.

It was humiliating, needing to ask for help for some of the most basic activities of life, but he refused the offer of a prosthetic anyways. A little frustration felt like nothing in the face of the agony he's caused.

It didn't make the pitying looks any less embarrassing though.

Sasuke notes that that look isn't there when Naruto points at a task he’s having difficulty with, offering to help. He’d talk about how weird it was sometimes, the pale imitation of his true flesh that was his right arm. Everything feels off, like through a layer of cotton, he says. He’s making small talk, fat-fingering a subtle attempt to keep him from being embarrassed; Sasuke always notices, but never comments-- he appreciates the attempt, even if it isn’t the most graceful; it’s tolerable, because Naruto doesn’t _pity_ him. He probably knows better than most that one hand is plenty for the important things, so his offers of help never make him feel incapable.

Like now: Naruto hands Sasuke the orange he had peeled for him. One of the slices is missing and when he glances over, Naruto is grinning wide, the elusive orange piece stuck in front of his teeth. He tips his head back and lets the orange fall into his mouth.

“Tax for my services,” he says simply.

“Mmhm.” He pries a slice away and pops it in his mouth. It's tart and just a tad overripe, but still sweet and a pleasant addition to the fat pheasant that Naruto had found yesterday. Egg is rolling happily in the grass, gnawing on a chunk of meat Naruto had tossed to him a few minutes ago.

Spring has burst forth with a vengeance in the Land of Earth. Frequent rain storms bring an explosion of life in the form of untamed grass and wildflowers that scatter across the earth. A lake stretches out in front of them, the shore just out of sight to the east. It's the last scrap of green earth before the massive, rocky mountains that rise into the clouds just a few miles opposite of the lake. They dig into the sky like teeth, cold and white and untouchable. They're so far to the west that the nearest town is a four day walk.

They're on the edge of any map that exists across the five nations.

“That's the end of the world, over there,” Naruto says, prying his own orange in half. “There could be a whole other universe on the other side. It's weird to think that nobody’s tried to see it.”

“There's probably a reason no one’s seen it,” Sasuke comments idly. “Maybe something kills them coming back.”

“Or kills them before they make it over.”

“Or the people on the other side swear them to silence somehow.”

They exchange a sly look, matching grins spreading across their face.

“Should we go?” Naruto asks. The idea makes even _Sasuke_ apprehensive-- being so far removed from the land that they know, in an area that holds an entirely different definition of “foreign.” There's no telling the kind of people they'd meet, the obstacles they’d face.

But the sky stretches out in Naruto’s eyes, endless in their possibilities and not once does Sasuke’s faith even waver.

“I'd follow you anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookies for the people who can catch some of the references I stuck in here. Nothing specific, just references :3c


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! Since the last time I've updated this, I moved a thousand miles from my home to my dream college where I'm having a blast persuing my life's goals. I am super happy to bring this story to a close-- it's really been a joy to work on this and I appreciate each and every comment and kudos y'all have left. 
> 
> I'd like to take this time to officially announce that there will be a sequel by the name of Kintsugi, debuting sometime before Christmas. That one will follow sns shenanigans through marriage, coronations, and maybe even a kid... or three. 
> 
> So look forward to that >:3 
> 
> Without further ado, please enioy!

**_7.23.XX (One year later)_ **

“Is it... bigger than a horse?” 

“Yes.” 

“Is it alive?” 

“Yes.” 

“... Does it have an odd number of tails?” 

“Fuck you.”

“Is it Kokuo?” 

“ _ Ugh,  _ yes. How the hell do you guess my things so fast?” 

“You're predictable as hell, that's all.” 

“Hey, you don't gotta be a dick about it.” 

Sasuke chuckles under his breath, earning himself an irritated jostle from Naruto. He plods along the worn dirt path at the same pace they've been keeping up for the past several miles. It's a little faster than Sasuke’s preferred amble, but he didn't blame Naruto; they were within a day’s travel of the village now. Sasuke tips his head and watches the trees slip past, sighing. The air is almost unbearably hot and still, and the sun beats down on them mercilessly. One of Konoha’s famous summer storms is probably on the way; Sasuke hopes that they make it back before it hits-- he’s not interested in getting his clothes sopping wet. 

He blinks and refocuses on his surroundings-- the trees are starting to look familiar, and an old nostalgia rises within him. 

They're getting close. 

“You know...” Sasuke says slowly. Naruto turns his head, raises an eyebrow. “You can put me down now.” 

“Nope,” Naruto chirps, turning back to the road, chin in the air. “Not until you get your ankle looked at by Sakura.” 

“I told you, it's  _ fine.”  _

“It's  _ purple.”  _

Sasuke clicks his tongue and rests his chin back on Naruto’s shoulder. Riding Naruto piggyback wasn't exactly the way he imagined returning to the village after two years, but he isn't as bothered as one would assume. Considering that it was Naruto’s fault in the first place that he slipped off of the rock and sprained his ankle, Sasuke is actually going easy on him. Naruto felt bad enough about it, so Sasuke let him fuss without much complaint.

They  _ could  _ have just stopped for the day or found a doctor in some small village in the area, but Naruto had insisted in keeping up a brisk pace. “ _ Excitement _ ” was his excuse. 

Sasuke has reason to believe he has ulterior motives. 

Egg, who had been trotting along beside them for most of the time, suddenly streaks off into the woods on the side of the road. His runt days were  _ long  _ gone, and he rivaled his own mother in size now-- up to their knees when he's on all fours with claws that could easily take an eye out. He's a majestic beast of the north now and rodents feared him.

Naruto stops to watch him run off and groans loudly. 

“Come  _ on  _ Egg! There are plenty of birds to chase in Konoha!” 

“Why are you being so pushy?” Sasuke drills, pinching Naruto’s cheek and giving it a light tug. Naruto shakes him off and readjusts his grip. 

“I miss home! We're only a few more hours out, I wanna sleep in a BED tonight.” Sasuke shrugs and presses his lips briefly to the back of Naruto’s ear. 

“Whatever you say.” 

Naruto lets out a closed mouth grumble but continues walking, a little slower this time. Egg will catch up; he always does. 

Their game of Twenty Questions continues, until Naruto grows fed up of his object being guessed in less than five tries every time. Naruto accuses him of using genjutsu, until Kurama chimes in that no, Naruto really just  _ is  _ that predictable. 

“You guys are both assholes.” 

Sasuke chuckles, but his voice catches as he glances over Naruto’s shoulders.The tops of the gates of Konoha are coming into view, and his shoulders tense reflexively. He had more memories of this fading  _ behind  _ him than he does of it cresting into view; his gut rejects the unfamiliarity. Naruto notices his reaction and slows to a stop.

“Are you nervous?” He asks. Sasuke purses his lips. 

“No.” 

“Are you sure about that?” 

“I'm  _ not  _ nervous,” Sasuke says, more firmly this time. “Just... everything is gonna be different this time. Right?” 

Naruto squeezes his thigh reassuringly. 

“Right. Let's go home, yeah?” 

“Yeah.”

* * *

 

Sakura and Kakashi were waiting for them, which is Sasuke’s first clue that something was Up. 

“I thought they didn't know when we were coming back?” Sasuke mutters suspiciously. Naruto puckers his lips in a decidedly guilty expression, avoiding Sasuke’s probing, accusatory look. 

“I may have mentioned a...  _ rough estimate  _ in my last letter,” he says slowly. Sasuke groans in exasperation and lets his head thunk down on Naruto’s shoulder irritably. 

“You've planned something, haven't you?” 

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

He's planning something. 

Whatever it is, Sasuke doesn't really have the time to dread it because Sakura has spotted them and is waving her hand. She cups her hands around her mouth and yells:

_ “Welcome back, losers!”  _

Naruto’s entire  _ body _ shifts as his mood visibly brightens and Sasuke tightens his grip around his shoulders in preparation for-- 

He takes off like a dart, and Sasuke just has to grit his teeth and clutch Naruto’s shoulders as his injured ankle is shaken around painfully. 

“SAKURAAAA!” 

It's only the fact that Sasuke is still hitched on his back that stops him from leaping in Sakura’s arms, and even then he's bouncing excitedly from foot to foot, his mouth running a million miles an hour. Kakashi is leaning against the massive gate, and his eyes turn up in amusement as he watches.

“Oh man, Sakura, I have  _ so much  _ to tell you,  _ dude--"  _ Sakura holds up her hand Naruto’s rambling suddenly halts with a confused tilt of his head. 

“Why is Sasuke on your back?” She asks. 

“I twisted my ankle,” Sasuke butts in bluntly. Sakura raises an eyebrow.

“Twisted your ankle?” 

“Naruto sicced the cat on me and I fell off a rock.” 

“The cat?” 

“Egg.”

_ “Egg?” _

As if summoned by the sound of his name, Egg himself trots out from beneath a bush, blood on his paws and feathers around his mouth. He's licking his chops and looks extremely satisfied with himself. He sits down next to Naruto’s leg, stretches languidly, and begins to groom himself. Sakura watches him for several seconds, her expression absolutely indescribable.

“Naruto, that's a coon cat.” 

“Yeah, and?” 

“Those things are  _ notorious  _ for being feral.” 

Naruto makes an offended noise and as if it were some kind of cue, Sasuke slides off his back, landing unsteadily with most of his weight on his good foot. Naruto crouches down and scoops up Egg like a baby, who is entirely nonplussed and even starts up with his trademark thunder purr almost immediately. In a show of extreme bravery, he sticks his hand right into the fluff of Egg’s belly and gives him several good pats. 

“Egg isn't feral! I hand-fed him since he was four days old, I'm practically his dad. Isn't that right, Eggy?” He rubs his forehead against Egg’s and is rewarded by a gentle gnawing on his nose. He sets Egg down and slides a steadying arm around Sasuke’s waist, almost without even thinking of it. 

“Can you fix Sasuke’s ankle? I've been carrying him for like three hours now,” Naruto says, jerking a thumb at him. 

“I  _ told  _ you you could put me down.”

“But then we would've had to walk slower!”

Sasuke and Sakura let out long, exasperated sighs, but he sticks out his foot obediently when Sakura crouches down to take a look at it. His sandal is gone, and his foots been wrapped in compression bandages to keep down the ridiculous swelling that's been going on. It's hidden now, but it's turned a blotchy purple-- he wouldn't be surprised if he'd broken something. Sakura presses her fingers in gently to certain spots, slowly maneuvers his foot this way and that until he hisses, and then finally wraps both hands around it with chakra fluttering around her fingertips. It feels like a rush of cold water, and he watches as some of the swelling goes down right before his eyes. The bandages come a little loose and Sakura unwinds them entirely. 

“It's just a bad sprain. I took some of the inflammation down, but give it some ice and rest and it'll be fine.” She stand back up and hands the bandages over. Sasuke puts his foot back on the ground, and it twinges a little, but it's bearable. He pulls his sandal out of Naruto’s pocket and maneuvers his foot carefully into it, using Naruto as a prop to lean on.

“Thanks,” he says, shoving the bandages in his pocket. “Glad to know it's not terminal.” 

There's a beat of dead silence.

“Did you just... crack a joke?” 

It's the first thing Kakashi has said this entire time, and all three heads turn to stare at him. His shoulders bunch up in a defensive shrug at the attention, hands palm out. 

“You didn't even make jokes  _ before  _ you left. Are we sure this is the right guy?” 

_ “Sensei,”  _ Sakura snaps.

“No, I'm actually Madara in disguise, and I've come to finish the job.” 

Another,  _ longer  _ beat of silence falls. Then Kakashi huffs and drops his hand on top of Sasuke’s head, giving his hair an affectionate, but weary, ruffle.

“It's good to see you, Sasuke.” 

“Good to see you too, sensei.” 

And it  _ is  _ good to see him. He had missed the dry sense of humor and the comfort of having a guiding figure in his life-- God knows he still needed one. Sasuke feels a tug on his sleeve and turns, only to be pulled into a crushing hug from Sakura. She's only an inch shorter than him, but the hug is so strong it lifts him onto his toes. He smiles crookedly and returns it as best he can with one squashed arm. 

“God I've missed you two,” she sighs, her cheek mashing into his chest. She releases him and steps back and seems to take her first good look at him. Her eyes are watery, but she's smiling. “You look better. A lot better. I like the hair-- the ponytail suits you.” 

“Uh, you too. I mean, your hair... Short hair works for you.”

“Oh!” Sakura flushes, chuckling a little as she runs her hand through her pixie cut. “I got it cut so long ago I forgot about it. It kept getting in the way at the hospital so, you know...” She drifts off but Sasuke smiles a little crookedly.  He’d really missed her too. She blinks at him and her expression brightens. 

“Look at that smile! Who knew your face even worked like that!” She pinches both his cheeks and stretches them a little and he sighs, the smile fading. Yep. He sure had missed her. Sakura loops her arm through his and turns to Naruto and Kakashi. 

“Well, Sasuke owes me lunch. You two can go and do guy stuff or something, I'll meet up with you later.” 

“Wait, wh--?” 

“Sounds good. Treat me to ramen, Kakashi-sensei!” 

“The cat stays outside if I do.” 

“Come  _ on _ , he’s totally harmless!” 

“Which is why he has blood on his paws.” 

“It’s just a  _ bird...”  _ Naruto is still grumbling when Kakashi gives in and starts walking down the street in the direction of Ichiraku’s, Naruto and Egg trailing behind. Sasuke watches them go for a moment before Sakura tugs on him insistently. 

“C’mon, there’s this barbeque place that opened after you guys left and it’s  _ fantastic,”  _ she says. Sasuke lets her pull him down the street, and it's probably for the best; his attention is drawn more towards his surroundings. His eyes take in buildings that are familiar and foreign all at once, new corner stores and apartments taking the place of the ones that were there in his childhood in the wake of Pein, but obviously built by the same hands and loved by the same people. Sakura pauses to let a group of kids dart in front of them, wielding cardboard kunai and screaming in a weird mix of terror and delight as they run from a boy wrapped in a black cloth. 

“Run! It's the Akatsuki!” 

They vanish down an alley and Sakura keeps walking. Sasuke takes a moment, then follows

“I can’t believe the Akatsuki is already a...  _ kid’s _ game,” he murmurs, staring at the place the kids had run off to until it falls behind them. Sakura huffs a little. 

“Weird, huh? Makes everything feel surreal.” 

The rest of their walk is mostly quiet, but it doesn't escape Sasuke’s notice that he's going strangely... unnoticed? Even when shinobi pass him, he barely gets more than a flicker of recognition. He felt like he should have gotten some wide eyes, maybe a glare or two. Was his hair  _ really  _ throwing people off that much? 

Or had something else changed without him noticing? 

Well, it's not like he had time to ponder in front of his reflection-- Sakura let go of him for the first time in order to open the door to the restaurant she had been talking about. The mouth-watering scent of grilling meat fills his nose and he's suddenly reminded of the fact that he hadn't eaten much that morning-- Naruto had been in too much of a rush. They're led to a table for two, a small grill set in the table, already lit and hot. Light chatter fills the air around them-- this place was pretty popular, and they were right in the end of the lunch rush.

“It's been awhile since I've had barbeque. Every time we find a town, Naruto insists on finding some place that serves noodles,” Sasuke says with a huff as he slides into the small booth. Sakura hums as a way of acknowledging him and picks up a pair of disposable chopsticks. 

“So...” She snaps them apart with a quick, precise movement. “Are we gonna talk about it?” 

Sasuke frowns a little.

“Talk about what?” 

Sakura’s smile gets terribly devious. 

“You know. You and Naruto. The whole--" she waves her chopsticks in an all-encompassing circular gesture, “-- _ thing  _ you two have going on. I didn't get  _ nearly  _ enough details in our letters.” 

Sasuke sinks lower in his chair. A public restaurant populated with people isn't really the place he wants to have this conversation, but it's not like anybody’s listening in. Not to mention there's very little Sasuke can deny his teammate, not after he tried to kill her a few times. 

“What's there to talk about?” He mumbles, trying to avoid the topic. 

“Well, what finally made you pull your head out of your asses?”  

Sasuke scratches his cheek and considers his response.

“We got stuck in a way station in a blizzard.” 

“Cliché! Go on.” 

“It was New Year’s Eve--" 

“Your anniversary is on New Year’s Eve? That's so cute!” 

Sasuke sighs and puts his cheek in his hand, eyes turning up towards the ceiling. God, she was right-- that was a thing couples did. Anniversaries. How stupid. And utterly  _ fantastic.  _

“There was this cat--" 

“Egg?”

“No, Miso. Egg’s mom.” 

“I'm guessing you made the mistake of letting Naruto name them.” 

“Unfortunately.” 

Sasuke gives a stilted, shallow rundown of the mess that was his current relationship with Naruto, and Sakura smiles cheerily the entire time, her chin propped on her laced fingers. They're interrupted once midway through by the waitress, and just as he finishes, she comes back with a platter of meat. Sasuke’s stomach gurgles quietly and he picks up a pile of cut chicken and lays it on the grill with a sizzling sound.

“That's about it. For the sake of my dignity, that's all I'll answer,” he says, watching his meat with a critical eye. 

“Damn, and I was just about to ask who tops.” 

Sasuke chokes on a sip of water and nearly perishes right then and there. Sakura bursts out in wild, muffled laughter as Sasuke struggles to get himself back under control, and for the first time, he second guesses his decision to return to Konoha. She wasn't going to be the last person asking questions like this about him. With a reputation like Sasuke’s, the fact that he was with the Physical Embodiment of Light Itself was bound to rouse curiosity. 

He could only hope they'd have more tact about it than Sakura did. 

The woman in question wipes away a tear from her eyes and waves a hand, eyes flicking up towards the ceiling. 

“I'm done, I'm done,” she wheezes. “God, I'm really digging this whole  _ expressions  _ thing you're doing. It's so refreshing.” 

Sasuke purses his lips and flips the meat on the grill instead of answering. He didn't really know how to, anyways. You could only spend so much time with Naruto before his wild range of emotions bled into everything he touched. And he touched Sasuke a  _ lot.  _

_ Nope, not in a restaurant.  _

He clears his throat and pokes at the strips of meat on the grill, and determines them to be done. He pulls them off and drops them on his plate to cool, replacing them with more raw pieces. Sakura immediately reaches over and plucks a piece of his plate and sticks it in her mouth. 

“Ooh, hot,” she puffs, fanning her mouth. Sasuke raises an amused eyebrow. She frowns at him. 

“Don't judge me-- I haven't eaten anything all day!” 

Sasuke frowns at this. 

“Aren’t you the one always harping on me about breakfast being the most important meal of the day?” He questions. Sakura gives him the stink eye and points her chopsticks threateningly at him. 

“Do as I say, not as I do,” she says sagely. “Now, add more pepper to the next batch. I want the feel my tongue melt out of my mouth.” 

Sakura continues to pilfer from his plate as she delves into the less  _ boring  _ aspects of the village, as she calls it. 

Sasuke knows it better as gossip. 

“So, Shikamaru told Ino about a crush he had on Chouji, literally like four days after  _ Chouji  _ told her about his crush on  _ Shikamaru _ . She literally sent them running around each other for like a week, it was the funniest god damned thing. Ooh! Kakashi and Gai finally got married. You should’ve been there, Lee gave a fifteen minute speech and then got drunk and sent a punch bowl flying when he fell on a table. Mirai --Kurenai’s daughter, y’know-- she’s turning into a little ray of sunshine. You'll probably see her running around somewhere, it's hard to keep track of the little weasel. Shino’s been acting real  _ shady  _ lately, I think he's got a sweetheart in Suna or something. He's always quick to take missions--”

“It's Kankuro.”

_ “What.”  _

“I mean, probably. We visited Suna right after we left and Temari mentioned that they had...” He waves his chopsticks in a vague motion. “ _ Something  _ going on.” 

Sakura’s eyes light up with this demonic glint and Sasuke suddenly feels like he's betrayed a trust he didn't know he had. Sakura taps the tips of her fingers together gleefully and then snatches another hunk of meat. 

“Oh, Hinata is gonna be  _ all over this.”  _

“You're... kind of terrible, aren't you?” Sasuke says slowly. Sakura smiles brightly at him, cupping her cheeks innocently. 

“Sasuke, honey, what _ ever  _ do you mean?”

Sasuke falls silent and focuses on the last strips of meat still cooking on the grill. The more he gets to know her, the more he is  _ extremely  _ glad he's on good terms with her. 

Or, at least he hopes he is. 

Sakura picks up some vegetables and lays them across the grill, shaking some salt and pepper over them. 

“Well, I can tell the gossip is boring you. Let's see... Me and Tenzou started up a proper orphanage; I had to strong arm the council a little on that one. We've cleared out and demolished most of Orochimaru’s hideouts. Well, aside from the one closest to the village-- we let Karin and Suigetsu maintain it. I guess Juugo kinda just hangs around them--" 

“They're still  _ here?”  _ Sasuke blurts cutting her off. “They didn't leave?” 

Sakura pauses with a bite halfway to her mouth. 

“Well, they kind of... couldn't?” Something in Sasuke’s expression must have changed because Sakura winces and puts her portion down. “Remember how they were kind of tied up in legality stuff when you left?” Sasuke nods. “Well, we got them cleared of all charges-- but only crimes committed in the Land of Fire. Karin’s got some old charges in the Land of Earth, Suigetsu has charges-- uh, everywhere. Juugo isn't really... on the books  _ anywhere,  _ so he could leave, I suppose. He just chooses not to. But Karin and Suigetsu are only protected as long as they stay within Konoha’s territories. They have total freedom! Just as long as they stay...” Sakura pokes the table with a blunt nail. “... Here.” 

Sasuke grunts and picks through the vegetables Sakura had grilled. He wouldn't prefer it, but he also wouldn't prefer his friends wanted and on the run. He supposed this was the best they could get.

His chest thuds with a dull ache as he ponders on the time they spent together. Had he ever even told them? Had his stupid, stuck-up,  _ bastard  _ of a past self ever even indicted how much he appreciated them?

“Can I see them?” He asks suddenly. “Are they here?” 

Sakura taps her chin for a second. 

“They should be? I can take you to the hideout.”

Something choking wells up in his chest, but he still manages to squeeze out: “I’d really appreciate that.”

* * *

 

The hideout is nearly a forty-five minute walk from the village, but they cut that in half by tree jumping the whole way there. He's not quite sure who began the breakneck pace, but he keeps up with minimum effort-- Sakura really had worked a miracle on his ankle. 

There’s no path that leads to this hideout; it’s buried in a thicket of trees choked with thorn bushes and slumps of dirt prone to becoming sucking mud tracks when it rained. Wholly, an unpleasant place. 

Sakura drops down from the canopy right before what looks like little more than a ramshackle cottage, but Sasuke was intimately aware of how clever Orochimaru was with disguising his hideouts. Sakura hipped open the creaky door, and upon entering, Sasuke saw that it was almost completely barren-- the only thing in the one-room cottage was a large rug covering the floor. Not conspicuous at all.

Sakura kicks that out of the way, revealing a heavy metal door. She stamps her foot on it twice, pauses, and then pounds four more times. 

“Suigetsu, open up! Somebody’s here to visit.” She glances over her shoulder and grins sneakily at Sasuke.

A heavy lock thunks and the door is heaved open. 

“Come  _ on,  _ you just had an inspector come by two weeks ago! How long are you gonna think we're--" Suigetsu’s torso finally rises from the ground and he catches sight of Sasuke. His jaw drops, eyes bugging, and he trips taking the last step out of the hatch and nearly splatters on his face. 

“Holy shit. You... actually came back.” His brows pinch in a frown. “I owe Karin money, dammit.” 

Sasuke huffs and gives Suigetsu a brief once-over. He hasn't changed much, but his face has gotten a little older, his eyes a little more tired. He walks up to Sasuke and gives his bicep a firm whack. 

“You look like a hobo, man.”

“Ha ha,” Sasuke deadpans. “You still look twelve.” 

Suigetsu gasps dramatically and clutches his chest. 

“In my own home!” He cries. “On my  _ birthday!”  _

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Suigetsu drops the act and slings his arm over Sasuke’s shoulder. 

“Just kidding, I don't know when my birthday is. Karin’s down in the lab, and Juugo’s probably breaking something. Oh man, they're gonna have a  _ fit  _ when they see you; this is gonna be hilarious!” 

Suigetsu drags him down the stairs and Sakura watches them go, her eyes glinting with amusement. 

“I'll let you have some alone time,” she calls down to Sasuke. “I'll be waiting up here when you're done.” 

Sasuke knows when he's being thrown to the wolves. But he lets Suigetsu tug him to the bottom of the steps and down a dimly lit hallway without much fuss, because he's given these three  _ more  _ than enough fuss through their partnership. 

_ Especially  _ Karin. 

Oh boy...

“You know, I totally thought you'd try to stab me by now.” 

Sasuke snaps from his thoughts. 

“What?” 

“You're not exactly the most touch-friendly dude, y’know. I thought I'd get stabbed the minute I touched you but I guess today is full of surprises.” Suigetsu lets out a loud laugh that echoes on the hallway walls, and Sasuke allows himself a quiet chuff. Two years ago, he probably would have tried to stick something sharp in anyone other than Naruto that tried to be so friendly with him. Actually, he  _ still _ tried to stab Naruto with pointy things on occasion. 

“I guess I figured some things out.” 

“S’at so? Does it have anything to do with the hair? Cool ponytail, by the way.” 

“No, my hair is not relevant to the topic.” 

“I'm not convinced. Oh hey, we’re here!” Suigetsu finally drops the arm from his shoulder as they approach a heavy metal door, completely devoid of any sort of handle on the outside. He whacks Sasuke’s arm, raising his eyebrows and wiggling them in what he probably thought was an impressive display of forehead dexterity. 

“One sec.” 

And then he's gone in a splash, his body dissolving into a puddle that slips under the door quickly. There's a thunk and a rattling  _ click click click  _ as a lock slides, and then it's being yanked open with a loud screech. Harsh, fluorescent light spills across the floor and Sasuke’s winces, nose wrinkling. 

“Welcome to our humble abode,” Suigetsu says with his arms spread. The interior looks like most of the labs Sasuke had seen in his time with Orochimaru. Sterile and white, with metal tables covered in strange, experimental machines, beakers, papers, and culturing specimen. A worn out couch and two armchairs are arranged haphazardly in the closer half of the room, providing an imaginary banner between the scientist part and the people part. There's a sharp smell of chemicals in the air, but there's personal touches here and there: a music player in the corner, a few pictures on the wall, an empty bowl with chopsticks lying over the rim.

There's the sharp, repetitive sound of marching feet from a branching hallway and Suigetsu’s face lights up into a devious grin. 

“Suigetsu, what took you so damned long? I told you to keep an eye on th-- AH!” Karin enters the room and a great shattering noise echoes around the room as a cup slips from her fingers and smashes on the ground. She stands there, flabbergasted, and Sasuke hesitantly lifts his hand in an awkward wave. 

“S-Sasuke,” she stammers. His eyes flick over her appearance briefly: red hair tied up in a knot, a few stands framing her face, a set of loose, purple scrubs clothing her.

“Karin,” he greets. 

There's a thick moment of silence before Suigetsu lets out a loud cackle and slips by both of them, down the hallway. 

“I'll get the broom. And see if I can find Juugo. Bye!” 

Karin attempts to punch him on the way out, but her fist goes right through a splash of water. She shakes her fist at him threateningly as he retreats.

“You could have at least given me some warning!” She hisses. She whirls back to Sasuke, a telltale flush creeping onto her face as she adjusts her glasses. “You too! You're lucky I wasn't carrying something important!” 

“My bad,” Sasuke mumbles. Karin purses her lips, a sharp gust of air leaving her nose. She steps over the broken pieces of glass and shuffles until she's standing several feet from him, a counter full of long, twisting glass tubes between them. She crosses her arms and regards him with a hard look. 

The multiple barriers are clear. 

“So. You actually came back,” she starts. Sasuke shrugs his shoulders noncommittally, avoiding hr gaze. 

“I said I would, didn't I?” 

“Well, considering your lack of a time frame, it could have been in a decade for all we knew.” 

“Fair enough. Didn't stop you from betting in my favor, did it?” 

Karin’s cheeks flare again and her chest puffs up. 

“That's different!” 

“Sorry.” 

Karin abruptly deflated and she pushes up her glasses again, her eyes less hard, more inquisitive. His heart skips a beat nervously and he flexes his hand briefly. He'd worked on this with Naruto-- apologies, that is. It didn't make them any easier, but hopefully he'd look less like an idiot while doing it. 

“You're different,” Karin states bluntly. “And I'm not talking about the hair.” 

“Yeah, I'm...” His hands flexes again and can't help but notice the way Karin’s eyes flick down to watch it. She’s always watching, always analyzing. Her brain works at a million miles an hour, and every fidget feels magnified under her gaze. 

He's on the edge of something, and she can tell. And she’s waiting. Sasuke takes a breath and then takes the coward’s way-- he closes his eyes. 

“... I just wanted to say sorry. For all the shit I put you through. The... with the Akatsuki. And Danzo. I asked more of you than you ever should have had to give. You stayed by me, despite me giving you no reason to, and I'm grateful for that-- I wouldn't really be here if you hadn't. But I wasn't in a good place when we were together, and you deserved better. So I'm sorry.” 

God, being vulnerable like this would  _ never  _ be easy; the words felt like knives coming up out of his throat, shredding his pride as they went, but if he's learned  _ anything  _ over the past two years, it's that his pride didn't mean shit in the face of his mistakes. However difficult it was to get the words out, it didn't compare to the pain and exhaustion he’d put other people through. 

That mountain of guilt that loomed over him would never get smaller in he just stayed on the ground and turned his back against it. So he swallowed his pride and he dealt with the anxiety and discomfort because nobody ever said repenting would be easy. 

He opens his eyes again, but Karin isn't looking at him anymore. Her lips are pursed, and she rounds the counter and drags a stool out from under it on the other side. She sits down heavily and takes off her glasses, proceeding to clean them thoroughly on her shirt. 

“You know, I used to have fantasies about you saying stuff like that. Apologizing, I mean,” she says, twisting the fabric in the corners of the lenses. “And I'd throw myself into your arms, because there's nothing to forgive, and we'd elope into the sunset.” Karin bats her lashes and clasps her hands sarcastically, before sighing and dropping her arms. Sasuke shifts uncomfortably. 

“But I've had some time to think, and I realized there  _ is  _ some shit to forgive. I couldn't keep living with this idealized version of you in my head, because it excused some really stupid shit. And you did some  _ stupid shit,  _ Sasuke Uchiha.” Sasuke winces, but internally agrees. Karin flicks her hair out of her face, rocking a bit on the stool. “Talking with Sakura has helped too-- we have more in common than I thought we would.” Karin clicks her tongue and slides her glasses back on her face. “The point is, the apology is appreciated, but unnecessary.” 

“...What?” 

“It’s unnecessary. I thought about and I thought about what we did and what we went through. Who you are then and who you were before you left two years ago are different people. Who you are now is someone different too. So... I've decided I'm starting fresh. As long as you don't pull anything else, I'd say we're even.” 

“But that's not-- it's not that  _ simple,”  _ Sasuke attempts. “What I did was still  _ me,  _ how can you just--" 

“Ah, don’t get so stuck up in it all, man.” 

To his credit, he doesn't flinch when Suigetsu pops up behind him and traps him in a headlock. But the other man still gets the full force of his annoyed glare. 

“We had this whole big conversation and stuff and we mutually decided that despite the fact that you're kind of a big bag of dicks, we’re still cool. I mean, I followed you  _ because  _ you were a dick, but I suppose Karin got the shitier end of the stick.”

“Shut it, Suigetsu.” 

“What? I really didn't expect that kind of emotional maturity out of you, to be honest.”

“I said  _ shut--!”  _

“Quit it with the fighting, guys.” 

Sasuke looks back towards the hall and watches as Juugo steps in, holding a broom in one hand. He sets it against the wall and steps over the pile of broken glass, smiling a little crookedly. 

“Glad to see you back, Sasuke,” he says. Something twists in Sasuke’s chest and he slips out of Suigetsu’s grip, taking a few hesitant steps in Juugo’s direction before throwing caution to the wind and just  _ going _ for it. He has to raise himself up on his tiptoes to get an arm around Juugo’s shoulders but he manages. 

“Glad to be back, man,” he says. 

“Oh, typical,  _ Juugo  _ gets the hug. Hey, fuck that. Group hug!” Sasuke has no time to respond before Suigetsu wraps two inhumanly large arms around the both of them and lifts them off their toes. Sasuke wheezes a little as the air is squeezed out of him and Juugo lets out a tight grunt. “Karin, get in here!”

“Absolutely not, don't you  _ dare--!”  _ Karin yelps as another watery arm shoots out and wraps around her waist to reel her in. She makes a disgusted noise as they're all squashed together, but everyone seems to go stiff as Sasuke lets out a small burst of laughter. Suigetsu drops them all back to the floor slowly, his arms rippling as they returned to their normal size. Sasuke covered his mouth with his hand, but the crinkle around his eyes was unmistakable-- and to all three members of the former team Taka,  _ utterly foreign.  _

“Holy shit,” Suigetsu whispers. Karin elbows him, and to Sasuke’s surprise, it actually lands, making Suigetsu double over with a hearty  _ oof _ . Immediately after, she whirls around, her shoulders stiff. 

“I have work to do!” She insists. “You idiots are distracting me!” 

She storms off down the hall. Suigetsu snickers and nudges Sasuke, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Once a Sasuke fangirl, always a Sasuke fangirl, am I right?” He teases. Sasuke rolls his eyes and shoves away Suigetsu’s leering face, and he collapses into a puddle dramatically, slinking away. Sasuke turns to look up Juugo. 

“You cut your hair,” he points out, raising his eyebrows at the undercut the redhead has going on. Juugo mimics the expression. 

“You didn't.” 

“You'd be surprised at how hard it was to find a good barber.” 

“Sure.” 

They share a short chuckle between them and there's a sharp, slow whistle from across the lab. 

“Shit, I'm never gonna get used to that. You're all  _ giggly  _ now. That must've been some Grade A Dick to melt down  _ that  _ wall of ice.” 

“Suigetsu...” Juugo says warningly. 

“It was! He told me  _ aaaaall  _ about it, didn't you, Sasuke?” Sakura’s voice pipes up from behind him, and before he can react, Sakura slings an arm over his shoulders and squashes their faces together. “Naruto fucked up a perfectly good marble statue, that's what he did. Look at him-- he’s all mushy.” Sasuke bears his cheeks behind pinched with as much dignity as he can muster, but when Suigetsu and Juugo burst out in laughter, he resigns himself to never having authority with those two again (not that he had any interest in doing so). He bats away Sakura's hand and twists his head to glance at her.

“Were you waiting for the perfect chance to embarass me or are you just that lucky?” He deadpans. 

Sakura's chirpy smile betrays  _ nothing. _

“Sorry to cut this short, but one of Naruto’s clones came looking for us just now. The sun is starting to set, and we need to get back to the village,” Sakura says ruefully, patting Sasuke’s shoulders. 

“Aw, we didn't even break out the cake,” Suigetsu mourns. Sasuke rolls his eyes, but another smile crooks at his lips. 

“I won't disappear again-- we'll catch up properly later,” he promises. “I'll see you soon.” 

“Yeah,  _ real  _ soon,” Suigetsu mutters. Sasuke barely catches the sharp look Sakura stabs at him, as it's gone faster than he can track. His brows furrow in suspicion but she’s grinning again and starts tugging him towards the door. 

“C’mon, Naruto sounded urgent,” she says. Sasuke sighes and allows himself to be manhandled for what felt like the thousandth time that day. 

“He probably found a cool slug or something,” he says. Sakura snorts, but doesn't say much as she loops her arm through his again and walks with him out of the hideout. The shadows are getting longer and oranges light spills through the leaves as they walk; and they  _ walk  _ this time instead of tree-jumping. It's nice-- Naruto’s swift gait made him miss the more subtle things about the scenery around the village. Neither of them really talk, and Sasuke spends several minutes just  _ looking.  _

He remembers this road. He remembers out of place puddles and loud chattering and sweltering days and starry nights. He remembers running blistered feet in cold streams and scrubbing dirt and blood out from under his nails. He remembers Kakashi’s low voice as he talks them through stitching cuts and soothing burns. Naruto complains, Sakura scolds, he stays silent. It’s a simplicity that he allows himself to miss for the first time in ages.

“Y’know, I never really thought I'd miss this road,” he murmurs after awhile. Sakura snorts softly. 

“You sound like him,” she says. “Like Naruto-- you’ve picked up his little speech quirks.” Sasuke flushes at being called out, and elbows Sakura gently. 

“Shut up.” Then he snorts. “It’s just weird to think of Konoha as being...  _ home _ .” 

“You didn't think of it as home?” 

“I did, before I learned the truth. I... wanted to come back. Eventually. It...” he stops as the words get stuck in his throat. Sakura squeezes his arm and he sighs, blowing a lock of hair off of his forehead. 

“Everything got tangled.  _ Nowhere  _ felt like home.” 

Sakura takes a moment to think over his words, lips pursing as she ponders. It was a quirk of hers Sasuke had never consciously taken note of, but now he finds it endearing. 

“I think you only consider it home because Naruto’s here,” she says eventually. Sasuke cocks an eyebrow, but she only shrugs. 

“Home is where the heart is, am I right?” Her grin gets cheeky and Sasuke scoffs. 

“Piss off.” 

Sakura laughs and rubs her cheek against his shoulder, like an affectionate cat. 

“Aw, you're so in  _ looooove,”  _ she teases. Sasuke grumbles and leans halfheartedly away from her touch. 

“You're awful.” 

“Get used to it, Team 7 is a packaged deal.” 

Yeah, it was. 

The sun is just starting to touch the horizon when they make it to the gates. Sakura waves to Izumo and Kotetsu as they pass, and pauses to check the clock that hangs on the side of their security hut. 

“Eh, close enough,” she says to herself. 

“What?” 

Before he can really get his bearings, Sakura hops behind him and then suddenly there's something being tied around his head, over his eyes-- a blindfold. Sakura knots it and then puts her hands on his shoulders and starts shoving him forward. 

“What are you doing?!” He objects. Sakura keeps shoving him, and after a moment he realizes she's  _ guiding  _ him. 

“It's a surprise!” She says. Sasuke sighs  _ deeply  _ and hesitantly lets himself be pushed through the streets of Konoha. 

“Naruto put you up to this, didn't he?” 

“Maybe.” 

“ _ God,  _ I knew something was up,” Sasuke laments, his worst fears confirmed. Sakura laughs and turns them around a corner. 

“It's nothing  _ bad,  _ I promise,” she says.

“I think you and I have different ideas of what  _ bad  _ is,” Sasuke mutters, but he resigns himself to a blind march through the village. 

Sakura keeps her hands on his shoulders the whole time, offering a  _ “look out, a step"  _ here and a  _ “we’re going up a hill"  _ there. She twists him and turns him and makes sure he doesn't splatter when he trips over a crack. 

“Okay, now we’re gonna be going up a pretty sharp incline,” she says. 

“ _ Where  _ are we going?” Sasuke demands for at least the fourth time. Sakura makes an  _ ‘ugh’  _ sound and urges him on one step after the other.

“You’ll see! I can't believe you don't even know where we are right now. Serves you right for leaving the village for so long.” She snickers and keeps pushing him.

She’s right, though-- Sasuke has  _ no clue _ where in the village he could be, aside from a vague sense of  _ east  _ he was getting from the ways Sakura turned him as they walked. 

_ God,  _ this was a lot of climbing-- were they walking up the fucking Hokage mountain? 

It feels like an hour before they finally reach the top of wherever they're going (though he knows that it couldn't have been more than ten minutes) and Sasuke feels a breath of wind ruffle his hair. His sensitive ears can pick up the shuffle of feet, and a muffled laugh-- there are people up here as well. Several. 

Wait-- blindfold, silent groups, Naruto’s sneaky behaviour... Today wasn't--?

Sakura pulls off the blindfold and he winces as early evening light blinds him. 

“Surprise! Happy birthday!” A chorus of voices sing. 

_ Oh shit. That was today.  _

His eyes scan over the group-- he catches Naruto first, with Egg draped over his shoulders and a megawatt grin on his face. Iruka, Kakashi, and Gai stand next to him, Tsunade and Shizune a few feet behind them. Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo are there, as well as Rock Lee, Tenten, Hinata, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino. 

In addition, a large, two-story house looms over everyone in the background.

Before he can untie his tongue, Sakura slings her arm over Sasuke’s shoulder and stage-whispers, “This is the part where you say  _ aw, guys, you shouldn't have!”  _ Sasuke aims a squinty look at Sakura but Naruto approaches, removing Egg from his shoulders as he does so. The cat is dropped down and he immediately scampers away, back and around the house.

“Now do you see why I was in such a rush this morning?” He says with a laugh. Sasuke clicks his tongue and averts his eyes. 

“Obviously. You're lucky I lost track of the days-- I would have known in a heartbeat,” he attempts to defend himself.

“Oh, it wasn't luck,” Sakura pipes up. “I stopped dating my letters on purpose. And I told Naruto stop mentioning the days. It was all by design, honey.” 

Sasuke looks between his teammates and they're wearing matching grins. Sasuke suddenly realizes that this was a more thoroughly planned venture than he realized. 

“You  _ really  _ wanted this to be a surprise, didn't you?” Naruto’s smile fades into something more sheepish as his cheeks flush. 

“Yeah, sorta.” 

Sasuke feels something warm and affectionate rise in his chest. 

“You're a huge fucking dork.” 

Naruto cackles and then wraps his arm around Sasuke’s waist so that now he's flanked on either side by his teammates as they lead him into the fray. 

The front yard of the house is set up with all the makings of an outdoor party-- a few tables are here and there, one laden with drinks, the other with food, and the last --Sasuke winces-- with a large cake and a pile of presents. A longer table with several chairs provides space to relax and chat and eat, and to finish off the effect, poles are jammed into the ground so that fairy lights can be strung in rows over their heads. It's simple, but charming-- exactly the type of thing Sasuke can handle. 

Naruto really  _ did  _ plan this well. 

Tsuande is the first to wave down Naruto, and Sakura makes an excuse to peel off towards Ino and Hinata. The retired Hokage already has a plastic cup in one hand, filled with the probably-spiked punch from the refreshments table, and Shizune stands close at her side, dressed casually in a dark purple kimono. 

“Welcome back, Sasuke,” Shizune greets politely. “Your journey looks like it treated you well.” 

“It... did, thanks,” he replies. Tsunade’s eyes glance over him from head to toe, before she grunts and sips her drink. 

“You look like a hippy,” she says. Naruto snorts, but Sasuke holds her gaze evenly. 

“It doesn't look retirement is treating you any better.” Shizune chokes on her drink as Tsunade raises her eyebrow. 

“Watch the attitude, kid,” she says, but her eyes shine with amusement as a crooked smirk tugs at her lips. 

“Yes ma'am.” 

“Sasuke!” Someone booms. The man in question winces and turns as Gai rolls right up to him, seated in a wheelchair. Kakashi stands right behind him, one hand resting on the handles on the back, and Gai reaches forward to give Sasuke a friendly sock on the arm. 

“It's been far too long since we've talked properly. I hope you're planning on sticking around longer, eh?” He raises his eyebrows, resting an elbow on his knee. Sasuke sorely wishes he had a drink to occupy his hands, but sticks them in his pocket instead. 

“Yeah, you guys are stuck with me for the foreseeable future,” he says. Gai lets out another thunderous laugh, one that tips his head back. Even at half his height and seated in the wheelchair, his presence still takes up an eight foot square space, still powerful and demanding of attention. 

“Nonsense, I'm delighted! Kakashi probably won't admit it, but he missed you terribly.” 

“ _ Gai _ ...” Kakashi cuts in warningly. Gai chuckles and puts the back of his hand conspiratorially to the corner of his mouth, as if that would somehow keep Kakashi from hearing.

“He worries about you  _ all  _ the time,” he whispers. Kakashi pinches his ear and tugs disapprovingly. 

“Be quiet,” he scolds. Gai looks up at him and smiles, and there's so much adoration in his crinkled eyes, it's difficult to look at. Sasuke suddenly remembers that he had missed something extremely important between them while he was away. 

“I heard you two... er...” He gestures lamely between them, but Gai pounces on the subject with glee. 

“Got married!” Gai supplies. 

_ “What?!”  _ Naruto blurts, his gaze flipping wildly between the pair. As if on cue, Gai and Kakashi reach into their collars and pull out delicate silver chains-- both with a single gold band hanging from them. “You got married and you didn't even invite me? Sensei, that is  _ so rude!”  _

“To be fair, you disappeared with no word on when you'd be coming back. I wasn't going to put of my wedding for your romantic spiritual journey with Sasuke,” Kakashi says. Naruto flushes and grumbles, thoroughly humbled. 

“I would've had so many anecdotes to embarrass you with...” he mutters. Gai snickers and pats the hand Kakashi had rested on his shoulder. 

“For every embarrassing story you have,  _ I  _ have a hundred more,” he promises. 

Naruto takes charge of the conversation and Sasuke is content to sit back and let him.  Naruto launches into tales of their adventures over the past two years, and Gai is totally sucked in, eyes shining as he fires off questions. Kakashi and Sasuke share mutually exhausted looks over the shoulders of their sunny companions-- apparently both of them had a questionable taste in men. 

At some point, somebody has started playing music. It's quiet, but upbeat, and Lee and Tenten are enjoying a dance together, laughing as they both try to lead and end up tripping over each other. It reminds Sasuke of that swampy village in the Land of Grass, all those months ago. Man, he hopes that Naruto doesn't try to pull him into a dance in front of all these people, because he  _ will  _ be helpless to those stupid ocean eyes and he  _ will  _ make a fool of himself.

_ “Psst!” _

Sasuke’s head cocks to the left and he spies Ino under a tree a few feet away. She smiles coyly and makes a beckoning motion with one finger. He's not quite sure what she wants, but anything that'll give him a break from the positive feedback loop that Naruto and Gai have going on is welcome. He taps Naruto’s shoulder and mumbles some excuse before extracting himself and shuffling over to where she stands. 

Immediately, she shoves a full plastic cup into his hands and smirks. 

“You looked like you could use that,” she says. Sasuke huffs and sips it, then nearly chokes at the  _ overwhelming  _ taste of alcohol. 

“ _ God  _ that's strong,” he rasps. Ino snickers and pats him on the shoulder. 

“Consider it your initiation. You're finally a  _ real  _ adult-- how ya feel?” Sasuke purses his lips and takes another sip from the cup. 

“Old,” he admits. “I'm eighteen and I’ve fought God. And won.” Ino snorts and raises her cup to her lips.

“I see we’ve got Mr.  _ Humble  _ over here,” she mutters sarcastically. Without warning, she suddenly reaches forward and brushes his hair back a little. 

“Man, that eye is still so weird to look at,” she says with a small laugh. Sasuke shakes his hair back into place and takes another long drink from his cup. 

“It’s weirder to see in the mirror.” 

“I'd imagine so. Do you... see out of it differently? Do you have like a permanent Byakugan thing going on?” Sasuke shakes his head. 

“Only when I activate it. I can do stuff like this now--" He flexes his palm, moulds the barest hint of chakra, and Ino stumbles as she's pulled forward a single step by Almighty Pull. Her eyes bug and her hand whips out as if she's going to be tugged again. 

“Woah... that feels  _ really _ weird,” she says. Then she shakes her head. “I am in a loving and committed relationship, but it's a  _ real  _ fucking shame that you don't like girls because I still want to climb you like a tree.” She sighs dramatically and brushes the back on her hand against her forehead like a fainting maiden. Sasuke feels his cheeks prickle uncomfortably.

“Thanks... I think...” 

“Ooh, are we gossiping? You know that's my favorite thing, Pig.” Sakura slides herself smoothly both into the conversation and Ino’s arms, saving Sasuke from more invasive questions. She’s brandishing her own cup in the hand not latched onto Ino’s waist and already has a flush to her cheeks. Interestingly enough, Hinata trails behind her too, standing quietly off to the side a little. 

“No gossip,” Ino says with a wistful tone that suggested she wished the opposite were true. “We’re just over here, lamenting our old age and drowning our sorrows in booze. A very unhealthy practice by the way, don't make a habit of it.” She points an accusing finger at each person in their little group in turn before tipping her drink up and knocking the whole thing back in one go. Sasuke muffles his snort in the rim of his cup. 

“I need a refill!” Ino demands and then stalks off towards the drink table. 

“Oi, Pig, you have  _ work tomorrow--!”  _ Sakura scrambles after her girlfriend in a futile attempt to get her to make wise decisions. Sasuke watches them go for a minute before turning back to look at Hinata. 

“Are they always like this?” 

“Eh?!” Hinata flinches, as if she wasn’t expecting to be acknowledged, much less addressed. 

… Though, to be fair, Sasuke didn't have the best track record with her. She flushes and tucks a stand of hair behind her ear, fingers fidgeting on her cup.

“Oh, um… Yeah, pretty much. It’s gotten worse since they've moved in together.” Sasuke purses his lips a little and watches as Ino and Sakura bicker affectionately over at the drink table. 

“She never told me they moved in together…” He mumbled, somewhat hurt. He glances down into his cup and notices it’s almost empty.

“Sakura keeps up with village gossip because it distracts people from picking up on her own life and troubles,” Hinata comments lightly. 

“... Which are?” Sasuke prompts hesitantly. 

“She’s concerned about Lady Tsunade; she hasn't been in the best of health lately.” 

Sasuke’s eyes flick over to the older woman, who’s currently holding what looks like a heated debate with Kakashi and Shikamaru. She doesn't seem particularly ill, but he also has to remind himself that she's constantly under the influence of a genjutsu. 

“I see…” He had to remember to have a proper chat with Sakura soon. He glances down at Hinata, who is taking small sips from her own cup, full of what appears to be plain water.

“You're very perceptive,” he says. Hinata’s eyes slide away and to the right, her shoulders bunching in a slight shrug. 

“People say interesting things when they think you're not listening,” she says simply, as if she didn't just drop the character bomb of the century.

He blinks in surprise and realizes that there is a  _ lot  _ about Hinata Hyuuga that he doesn't know about. He should… probably be wary around her. A beat of silence falls between the two introverts as they stand on the edge of the lawn and watch the party happen around them. The punch is definitely starting to kick in; laughter and affection pass freely between every guest, some of the awkward atmosphere melted by the magical abilities of some powerful liquor.

“It’s been awhile since I've seen Naruto smile like that,” Hinata says out of the blue. Sasuke raises an eyebrow and finds his eyes drawn automatically to the man in question. He’s currently trapped in what looks like… a handstand pushup contest with Lee. Suigetsu and Chouji are betting enthusiastically, and Gai cheers on his protege with an unrestrained passion. Sasuke smiles to himself and finishes off the last sip of his spiked punch.

“Like what?” He says. 

“Like he’s in love.” 

Sasuke chokes on his drinks and covers his mouth with the back of his hand as he coughs away the unbearable burn of strong booze. A glance at Hinata tells him she’s highly amused-- even if she’s hiding her mouth behind her cup. 

“Sorry,” she says. 

“It’s-- it's fine,” he wheezes. “I just-- wasn't expecting it.” 

Hinata smiles slyly but says nothing. She was  _ clever--  _ definitely one to watch himself around. 

“Oi, Sasuke, come pick up your boyfriend!” It's Shikamaru. Reluctantly, Sasuke drops his empty cup into a strung-up trash bag and presses back into the bubble of People, stepping up to his dumbass boyfriend. He's face down in the dirt, wheezing like an old man with only one working lung. Lee is, of course, completely unphased and gloating about his victory to Chouji. Sasuke kicks Naruto in the leg, and he grunts. 

“Get up, stupid.” 

“Can’t…” he gasps, voice muffled by the dirt. “I'm dying.” 

“That's what you said after the horse ramen.” 

Naruto rolls onto his back the tosses his arm dramatically over his eyes. 

“The only thing… that will revitalize me… is true love’s kiss,” he groans. That gains a chuckle from the small group around him and Sasuke feels his face flush against his will. 

“I'll step on you,” he deadpans. Naruto snorts and relents, sitting up. He makes grabby hands. 

“Give me a hand?” He says.

“No, I only have one,” he said. 

A hush falls over the party and Sasuke glances up, only to see dozens of bug-eyed stares, all resting on him. For a moment, everything is still.

“See, I told you,” Kakashi pipes up suddenly, deftly ending the moment. 

“Holy shit…” Chouji breathes. Naruto bursts out laughing, clutching his stomach and hunching over as he does. 

“That’s the best one yet, bastard!” He crows gleefully. 

Sasuke purses his lips, flustered, grabs Naruto’s shirt, and hauls him to his feet. He releases Naruto and ducks away as conversation picks up again, now eagerly taking up the topic relating to Sasuke’s new propensity for terrible jokes. He slinks around the corner of the house to where there is apparently a shaded back porch, lined with small, undergrown bushes. There's no fence to denote where the property ends, so it just stretches on and on, from the rocky edge of Hokage mountain to the wild, untamed forest beyond.

He just needs a moment to… recharge. He's talked with more people in the past hour than he has in the past six months. It’s a little jarring. Not  _ unpleasant--  _ he actually tolerated almost everyone there, and the rest he hadn't interacted enough with to have an opinion. 

Sasuke lets out a long breath and sits down on some shallow steps that lead up onto the porch itself. He can hear crickets chirping in the distance, and the fireflies are easier to see back here, in the dim light and quiet. His gaze is drawn up to the stars, winking through the veil of thick clouds. It's a nice place-- being on top of the mountain meant there were no neighbors. 

It was just over two years ago now that Naruto had looked him in the eye and asked him to run. 

Two years ago he'd told Sasuke that he loved him. 

Sasuke smiles warmly at the thought. So much had changed over these two years, but that was one thing that hadn't: Naruto was still head over heels for a moron like Sasuke Uchiha.

“Hey, Sasuke!” 

He glances up and watches as Naruto himself rounds the corner, still brushing dirt off his clothes. 

“You okay?” He asks as he takes a seat next to Sasuke on the steps. Sasuke waves his hand dismissively. 

“I'm fine-- I just need a second,” he murmurs. 

“Yeah, I get you. But you like the party, right?” Ugh, he’s got that eager little puppy dog look on his face-- he couldn't be more clearly asking for approval if he had been wearing a neon sign on his head. Sasuke nudges him amicably with his forehead. 

“I do. Thank you.” Naruto’s face lights up in a pleased grin and Sasuke has to look away from the glare. He distracts himself by looking out at the backyard. A firefly winks a few inches in front of him and he gently grabs it out of the air, turning up his palm and watching at it scuttles across his fingers. 

“Whose place is this?” He asked. Naruto clears his throat suddenly, drawing Sasuke’s eyes. 

“I meant to bring this up earlier but it’s, uh... it's ours.” 

The firefly flutters away and it feels like Sasuke’s stomach drops out of him. 

“What?” 

“It's ours,” Naruto repeats, his voice a little stronger this time. “Remember when we were at Granny Kudou’s and we were talking about it that one time? Well, I wrote home a couple of months ago and... y’know, started talking with Granny Tsunade and Tenzou and stuff...” He trails off, flounders, finds his footing. “You wanna see the inside?” 

“I... Sure,” Sasuke says. He's still kind of reeling from the whole concept of  _ ours.  _

As him and and Naruto. Together. In one house?

Naruto stands up and offers his hand to tug Sasuke to his feet. Wordlessly, Sasuke follows him as he tramps up the rest of the stairs and pulls open the sliding glass doors that lead into the dark interior of the house. Idly, he realizes that Naruto hasn't let go of his hand. He doesn't really want him to. 

Naruto’s other hand fumbles along the wall for a second before he finds the lightswitch. Pale white light floods the room and Sasuke blinks. 

It's... completely empty. There's an echo to the expansive space that comes from bare concrete floors and plain plastered walls. It smells like dust and fresh wood, and Sasuke can see right across the house to the front door. Naruto scuffs his foot on the floor and chuckles nervously. 

“It's kinda bigger than I thought it would be. I think Tenzou got carried away when he was building the framework.” 

Sasuke doesn't seem to acknowledge him as he releases Naruto’s hand and steps further into the room-- a living room, he thought to himself. It would be a good place to gather friends and just... chat. He runs his hand along the rough walls to his right, until he comes to a doorway. He peers in to see a smaller room, and then at the far end, another doorway and another rectangular hole in the wall. A breakfast bar? He can see the shell of a kitchen through it-- naked wooden cabinets that need a stain and a seal. He steps back, turns around; the front door is to his right, a closet beside that that still needs a door. His feet carry him past that, to a squarish room that is sunk two steps into the floor. A sitting room. A bare essentials bathroom is adjacent to that, and then a flight of stairs to his left. Naruto is still talking. 

“I asked Tenzou to leave everything pretty bare, so we could... pick out our own colors and... whatever. I thought it would be fun to do that together.” 

Still, Sasuke doesn't speak. He looks up the stairwell into an oppressive gloom from the upper level and decides that part of the tour can wait. He turns back to Naruto to see him fidgeting nervously with his hands in the middle of the empty living room. 

“I'm sorry I didn't talk with you about this,” he blurts. “It's, like, a huge step that probably isn't a very good as a surprise--" 

“I love it,” Sasuke cuts him off. Naruto stopped fidgeting, eyes widening. 

“... Really?” 

Sasuke feels his face soften into a smile, as it's wont to do anytime Naruto is within ten feet of him. But he's not right now, and it irks him. So he crosses the expanse of concrete until he's easily welcomed into a loose circle of arms around his shoulders. 

Naruto still looks hesitant and disbelieving, so Sasuke pulls him into a gentle, easy kiss. They melt into it, the act as familiar as breathing. 

“I love it,” Sasuke mumbles, his hand running up the dip of Naruto’s spine. “You're so god damned incredible-- you got us a  _ whole house _ . _ ”  _ The kiss breaks as laughter bubbles up from both of them. 

“Perks of being the saviour of the world, you know?” Naruto snickers as Sasuke rolls his eyes “Well, Tenzou knows wood jutsu-- something like this probably would have only taken a day or so,” Naruto says. Sasuke glances around at the even concrete below his feet, the plastered walls, the bare bulbs dangling from wiring on the ceiling-- that wasn't just wood jutsu. Tenzou, whoever the hell he was, had seriously undertaken an entire housing project because Naruto had asked him nicely. 

Because Naruto had wanted to surprise him for his birthday. 

_ God  _ he was so in love with this idiot. 

Music is still drifting in from outside so Naruto grins and clasps Sasuke’s hand in a leading grip, the other coming to rest on his waist. Sasuke rolls his eyes as they start swaying sort of in time with the beat, their sandals scraping loudly on the floor. 

“Should we put down hardwood or tile?” Sasuke asks suddenly. Naruto looks at him for a second, then down at his feet, brows pinching as he tries to picture it. 

“Hardwood,” he decides. “Then we can slide across it in our socks.” Sasuke laughs at the mental image, pressing another kiss to the corner of Naruto’s mouth. He used to do that when he was little. The door would slam, signaling Itachi’s return, and he'd run as fast as his feet could carry him before sliding around the corner to welcome home his big brother. 

Yeah. Hardwood sounded nice.

“What do you think about the walls? How about blue?” He asks. Naruto purses his lips thoughtfully, turning their little dancing shuffle in a circle to get a better view of the whole space.

“Ehh... I think orange would look better,” he says. 

“Ugh,” Sasuke tosses his head back wearily, but he's still smiling. “You think  _ everything  _ looks better in orange.” 

“Because it does!” Naruto insists. “Orange is the best color, hands down.” 

“Yeah, for traffic cones,” Sasuke replies. Naruto sticks out his tongue childishly.

“You'll accept the Orange Authority sooner or later.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“Nope.” 

“Will too.” 

“Will not.” 

“Will too!” 

“Will not!” 

The ridiculousness of the conversation swells over them and they dissolve into cackling laughter, Sasuke’s head dropping onto Naruto’s shoulder. He's  _ warm _ , as per usual, Sasuke’s own portable furnace, and he presses closer, his hand releasing Naruto’s so that it can wrap around his shoulders as he noses into the crook of his neck. They're still dancing-- kind of. It's little more than a soft side-to-side sway, but the stimulation feels nice and the music still wraps around them like a blanket. Naruto smells like campfire smoke and cheap soap and the lingering traces of their travels. But now it mixes with plaster and fresh cut wood and new concrete and it smells like  _ home _ . God, he's  _ home.  _

“Welcome home,” he mumbles into Naruto’s collar. He huffs and Sasuke feels a kiss press to the shell of his ear.

“Welcome home.” 

They're still swaying to the music, pressed close, when the door suddenly bangs open. 

“Sasuke, get your butt out here so we can sing happy birthday, I want cake!” Sakura’s voice booms. She pauses when she sees them, and her face splits into the most ridiculous smile, hands coming up to squish her cheeks. 

“Aww, you guys are so cute!” She gushes. Sasuke’s face pinches into a frown and he leans back a little, away but not out of Naruto’s arms completely. 

“You're not gonna let me out of this, are you?” He says wearily. Sakura grins and gives him an OK sign. 

“Nope! I'll sit on you if I have to,” she says. God, was there anything more awkward than a bunch of people standing around you and celebrating the fact that you're even closer to death? 

No, there wasn't. 

He follows Sakura outside, resigned, and watches as she hops down the porch steps gleefully, calling, “found him guys!” Everyone is gathered in various clusters around the cake and presents table, giggly and friendly after heavily spiked drinks-- Hinata appears to be the only sober one, and she keeps a careful eye on everyone from a distance. 

“Sit, sit!” Sakura insists, forcing him down into a chair in front of the cake. Several candles have already been shoved haphazardly into the frosting, and Sakura goes about lighting them clumsily with Shikamaru’s lighter. Sasuke shrinks down a little in his seat and glances up at all the people around him waiting eagerly for cake. But they don't leer, or even hold their eyes on him for too long. Couples lean on each other, a little off balanced, and cheeks are flushed from inebriation and exertion. The fairy lights above them shed light in soft yellow blotches, not too bright, but still just enough to see properly. Sasuke looks down at the cake. It's covered in white frosting with blue flowers, and a shaky hand has scrawled “happy birthday BASTaRD!” on it in icing. 

There's a sting under his chin as Sakura suddenly snaps something over his head-- a cardboard cone hat. 

“Birthday boy gets the birthday hat,” she teases. Sasuke sighs and rubs his forehead; every time he thinks this couldn't get any worse, Sakura manages to prove otherwise. 

“Ready everyone?” She prompts. 

The group launches into a loud, somewhat monotonous rendition of the classic birthday song. Lee and Gai are gleefully belting it out at the top of their lungs, and Sasuke is 80% sure that Shikamaru is only mouthing it. 

But thankfully, they finish, and Sasuke thinks for a second before blowing out the candles. There's a small round of applause, and Sasuke judges that he can now safely remove the birthday hat without Sakura supplexing him. 

“Dig in,” he jokes, standing up and stepping back from the table so that Sakura can go about divvying it up. He's not particularly interesting in obtaining a slice-- sweets had never been his thing. Naruto slips from the crowd, proudly brandishing a fat slice of cake on a plate as he shuffles right up next to Sasuke. 

“What did you wish for?” He asks. 

“Can't say-- otherwise it won't come true,” Sasuke replies with a sly smile. Naruto blows a raspberry and cuts out a large chunk from his cake, shoveling it gracelessly into his mouth. 

“Laaaame,” he gripes. Sasuke snorts and watches as Suigetsu tries to cajole Karin into having a slice, diet be damned. 

“Shut up.” He’s surveying the group when, in the corner of the yard, Sasuke spots a head of brown hair as it pops up over the edge of the mountain. A man shuffles his way up the rest of the path, eyes glancing nervously over the crowd of people, a heavy white bottle clutched in his hands. He nudges Naruto, then nods his head in the newcomers direction. 

“Who's that?” He asks. Naruto makes a surprised noise around his cake and sets it precariously on the banister that goes up to the front porch of the--  _ his  _ house. 

“Tenzou!” He yells, waving his hand, beckoning him over. “You made it! I thought you said you had a mission today?” Tenzo seems to hesitate before walking over to them. 

“I was able to wrap things up a little quicker than I imagined. It's good to see you, Naruto.” His eyes slide to Sasuke, and that painfully familiar guarded coolness falls over them. 

“Sasuke,” he adds with a polite nod. “Happy birthday.” It feels like he's being told to fuck off rather being given well wishes.

“Do I know you?” Sasuke asks. Naruto laughs nervously and slings his arm over Yamato’s shoulder. 

“This is Tenzou! I knew him as Yamato for forever-- he took over for Kakashi as team captain for a bit.” 

“We've met. Briefly,” Yamato cuts in. Sasuke sighs and his eyes redirect towards the drink table. He needs more alcohol.

“It wasn't on pleasant terms was it?” He says. 

“No, not really.” 

Of course. Naruto makes this odd sort of humming noise to break up the tension and points at the bottle in Tenzou’s hand. 

“Is that sake?” He asks. Tenzou blinks and holds it out. 

“Yeah, for you. A sort of housewarming present.” 

“Cool! I’m gonna go put it inside. You two--  _ talk,”  _ he says, jabbing fingers at both of them before snatching the rice wine and skedaddling up the stairs and into the house. 

There's a moment of thick silence before Tenzou sighs and rubs the back of his head. 

“I'm didn't come here to ruin the party,” he says. “I apologize--" 

“Don't,” Sasuke cuts him off. Deciding that he's too sober for this, he turns and makes his way over to the drink table, plucking a cup from the stack and ladling some of the bright red punch into it. Tenzou follows him, and then does the same. 

“It's not like I haven't given you a reason to distrust me,” he says, turning to face Tenzou, armed with liquid confidence. He takes a deep sip for good measure. “So don't apologize. I know you don't mean it.” 

Tenzo purses his lips, then takes a drink himself, making a face at the potency of it. 

“That's a blunt way of putting it.” 

“But am I wrong?” 

Tenzou doesn't answer, and that's answer enough. Sasuke sighs and swirls his cup a little. 

“You built the house, didn't you?” He asks. Tenzo blinks, and then looks between Sasuke and the object in question.

“With help,” he admits slowly. “But yes.” 

“Then thank you. I really do appreciate it. And I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm not-- whoever I was when we first met. I'm at least twice as gay now.” 

Tenzou spits the drink he had just been taking, covering his mouth with his hand as he chokes and sputters. Sasuke takes immense satisfaction in that and watches in amusement as Tenzou sets his cup down and coughs deeply.

“God, you really went there,” he rasps. Sasuke grins into his cup. 

“It's true,” he said. Tenzou makes a face and waves his hand. 

“I don't need details,” he says.

“Wasn't going to give them.” 

Tenzou finally seems to get himself back under control and he wipes the front of the shirt, flicking off drops of spilled punch. He looks back at Sasuke, as his eyebrows have an uncertain tension to them.

“I have misgivings,” he admits. “It's just... how I was trained-- it's hard to let things go. But I know Sakura trusts you, and so does Kakashi. And I trust his judgement more than anybody else’s.” 

Sasuke briefly glances over at the man in question, then back to Tenzou. 

“Trust your own judgement,” he says bluntly. He then refills his cup, inclines his head respectfully, and wanders off, back towards a small cluster of chairs in the corner of the yard. 

Eventually, Naruto peeks his head out of the house and, judging it to be safe, slips out and trot over to sit next to Sasuke. 

“Work everything out?” He asks. Sasuke chuffs and side eyes him.

“No. But we will... eventually,” he says. Naruto makes an odd face, but accepts it for now.

“That’s... good, I guess,” he says. 

“Not everyone has your powers of instant friend-making, Naruto.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he grumbles. 

Sasuke feels something nudge at his foot and he glances down, only to see Egg staring up at him with big, begging eyes. He smirks and pats his lap, and Egg takes the invitation gladly. He hops up and carefully arranges himself until his massive, furry body is balled up comfortably on Sasuke’s thighs. He scratches under his chin affectionately, running his hand down his back, and feels Egg’s purrs rumble across his skin. 

This is nice. He could really get used to this. 

He nudges Naruto gently.

“Hm?” He's got a fleck of icing in the corner of his mouth and Sasuke chuckles. He licks his thumb and wipes it away before pressing a chaste kiss there. 

“Thanks for everything,” he says. Naruto flushes darkly, but he grins and headbutts Sasuke affectionately.

“Anytime.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I can be found at salted-potato on tumblr-- come yell at me :)


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